COVID-19 pandemic in Central Visayas

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Central Visayas, Philippines on February 5, 2020, when the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed in Tagbilaran, Bohol. As of June 27, there have been 6,989 cases in Central Visayas, 4,490 of which are residents of Cebu City. There have been 604 recoveries and 138 deaths recorded in the region.[1]

COVID-19 pandemic in Central Visayas
Confirmed cases in Central Visayas by province (as of June 16)[note 1]
  1000–9999 confirmed
  500–999 confirmed
  100–499 confirmed
  10–99 confirmed
  1–9 confirmed
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationCentral Visayas
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseTagbilaran, Bohol
Arrival dateFebruary 5, 2020
(4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Confirmed cases6,989
Active cases6,247
Severe cases16
Recovered604
Deaths
138
Fatality rate1.97%
Government website
ro7.doh.gov.ph

Timeline

The first two confirmed in the Philippines overall were Chinese tourists admitted in a hospital in Metro Manila both who had travel history to Dumaguete and Cebu. The first recorded case in Central Visayas, and the third case confirmed overall in the country, was confirmed on February 5, 2020. The case was that of a 60-year-old woman who have already recovered from the disease at the time of the announcement and was already allowed to return to China on January 31. The woman who is a native of Wuhan, China had a brief travel history to Cebu and Bohol provinces.[2] The woman was admitted to a private hospital in Tagbilaran on January 22.[3] Samples collected from the patient on January 24 tested negative for COVID-19 but a second testing conducted, this time on samples collected a day before, tested positive for the virus.[2] No new cases were reported in Bohol.[4]

The first cases were confirmed in Negros Oriental[5] and Cebu[6] on March 11 and 18 respectively.

Starting late April, there has been a surge of confirmed cases in Cebu. By April 30, there are 312 confirmed cases among the population of the Cebu City Jail alone.[7] By May 3, there are a total of 990 confirmed cases in the whole Central Visayas region most of which are in Cebu City (875 cases).[8]

Cebu City briefly became the Philippine city with the most number of COVID-19 cases on May 10 with 1,571 cases, surpassing Quezon City, which had 1,558 cases at the time.[9]

After months of not reporting any cases, Bohol confirmed its second case on May 13. The case was that of an Overseas Filipino Worker repatriated from abroad to the province.[10]

Cebu and three of its associated independent cities remained under ECQ on May 1.[11] On May 16, Cebu City and Mandaue remained under ECQ as eight other areas in the country was placed under modified ECQ and the rest of the country under GCQ.[12]

Response

Local government

Cebu
Free shuttle services are deployed for health workers in Cebu City, March 28
Police checks documents presented to them by drivers in a checkpoint in Cebu City.

On March 13, the mayors of Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu suspended classes in all levels for both private and public schools as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus. The suspension of classes in Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu was scheduled until March 28. Schools, however, were required to implement distance education measures.[13]

On March 15, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced the imposition of a province-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day. Garcia also announced that the Mactan–Cebu International Airport and the Port of Cebu would suspend all arrivals and departures of domestic passenger travel, effective March 17. She added that residents of Cebu would still be allowed to depart the island province, but they would only be allowed to re-enter after 30 days.[14] That same day, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella placed the city under a general community quarantine from March 16 to April 14; under the quarantine, health checkpoints would be established in the city's 11 entry points, the suspension of classes in the city was extended until April 14, and a four-day workweek was scheduled for city government workers from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.[15]

On March 16, following the imposition of a general community quarantine in Cebu City, Mayor Labella issued an executive order prohibiting the sale, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in all public places.[16]

On March 19, Mayor Labella ordered the temporary closure of all commercial establishments in the city, including all malls and the Cebu City Sports Complex but excluding establishments providing essential goods and services, until the end of the "general community quarantine".[17]

On March 25, Governor Garcia signed Executive Order No. 5-N placing the entire Cebu province under enhanced community quarantine from March 27. Due to this, mass public transports are suspended and restricting land and sea travel.[18]

On April 8, Lapu Lapu City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan issued an Executive Order extending the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until April 28, 2020.[19]

On April 14, 2020, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella pushed the extension of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for the City up to April 28, 2020. [20]

A private initiative called Bayanihan Cebu PH has set up quarantine facilities known as Bayanihan Field Centers for COVID-19 patients in Cebu which are to be run by the Central Visayas field office of the Department of Health. The first two centers were set up at the IC3 Convention Center and the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu's satellite campus.[21]

Bohol
Police officers in Bohol checking passengers of a jeepney passing through a quarantine checkpoint.

On March 16, 2020, Bohol community quarantine had started, Governor Arthur Yap announced to be effective until April 12. Province-wide curfew starts from 9 pm until 5 am. [22]

On April 7, 2020, According to Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto they will extend the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and planning to extend the quarantine until April 30, 2020. [23]

Negros Oriental
Empty street in Dumaguete on April 14, which at that time the city was under enhanced community quarantine.

On March 31, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo signed an executive order placing the entire province under enhanced community quarantine from April 3 to 18. Under the said order, residents must stay at home, limit the business hours for selected establishments, and suspending the mass public transit, and restrict land and sea travel among others.[24]

Sports

The 2020 season of the multi-sport collegiate league Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. was cancelled.[25]

Notes
  1. Breakdown of confirmed cases is according to the COVID-19 Case Tracker of the Department of Health.

References
  1. "COVID-19 Tracker". doh.gov.ph. Department of Health. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  2. Peralta, Janine; Modesto, Catherine (February 5, 2020). "Philippines reports third confirmed case of novel coronavirus". CNN Philippines. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  3. "Two nurses who attended to 3rd nCoV case develop fever". GMA News. February 6, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  4. Newman, Minerva (February 17, 2020). "Bohol is COVID-19 free; all 11 PUIs test negatives". Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  5. Masculino, Glazyl (March 12, 2020). "1 positive case of COVID-19 reported in Negros Oriental". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  6. "Cebu records 1st case of COVID-19". ABS-CBN News. March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  7. "Cebu City Jail confirms 126 new COVID-19 cases inside facility, bringing total to 333". CNN Philippines. April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  8. Erram, Morexette Marie (May 3, 2020). "Cebu nears 1,000 mark in COVID-19 cases". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  9. https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/309217/cebu-city-overtakes-quezon-city-with-highest-number-of-covid-19-cases
  10. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1274494/governor-reports-bohols-second-covid-19-case
  11. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1856604/Cebu/Local-News/Explainer-Cebu-City-Mandaue-under-ECQ-still-same-restrictions-economic-activity
  12. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1276001/cebu-city-mandaue-city-under-ecq-more-luzon-provinces-now-mecq-until-may-31
  13. Abatayo, Rosalie (March 13, 2020). "Metro Cebu cities suspend classes amid COVID-19 threat". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  14. Saavedra, John Rey (March 15, 2020). "Cebu imposes curfew, strict travel control". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  15. Cordova, Calvin (March 16, 2020). "Cebu City placed under general community quarantine". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  16. Erram, Morexette Marie (March 16, 2020). "Liquor ban imposed in Cebu City, too". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  17. "Malls in Cebu City ordered closed". Sun.Star Cebu. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  18. Cordova, Calvin (March 16, 2020). "Cebu province placed under enhanced community quarantine". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  19. Inso, Futch (April 8, 2020). "Chan ECQ in Lapu lapu Extended Until April 28 enhanced community quarantine". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  20. Palaubsanon, Mitchelle (April 15, 2020). "Chan ECQ Extension – Cebu City pushed". The Freeman. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  21. Abatayo, Rosalie (May 26, 2020). "Bayanihan Cebu opens COVID-19 center in IC3". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  22. Macasero, Ryan (March 20, 2020). "Community Quarantine ExtendedBohol". Rappler. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  23. "Yap Extends ESQ in Bohol until April 30". Manila Bulettin. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  24. Lomotan, Roi Anthoni (March 31, 2020). "NegOr to be placed under ECQ starting April 3". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  25. "Cesafi cancels 2020 season due to COVID-19 threat". cebudailynews.inquirer.net. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
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