QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte revealed on Monday that 107 mild Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the city from May 21 to July 1.
Belmonte, however, gave assurances that the increase in mild Covid cases in the past three weeks is no cause for alarm, and that is no evidence of clustering or severe illness.
Culled from hospitals and health centers across the city, the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) reported 23 confirmed Covid cases from May 21 to June 10. The number rose to 84 from June 11 to July 1.
Since the start of the year, the city government has recorded a total of 146 confirmed cases.
“We assure the public that the city government is closely monitoring these developments,” Belmonte said. “While there has been an increase in cases, they still represent a very small percentage of our total population. We are not seeing any clustering of cases, and all reported infections have been mild and isolated.” According to QCESD, other cities in Metro Manila also recorded a rise in Covid-19 cases during the same period.
Most of the patients experienced influenza-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and colds, prompting them to seek medical consultation at hospitals and health centers.
Belmonte said the City Health Department (CHD) will continue to provide medical interventions through the city health centers and hospitals for residents experiencing similar symptoms.
“We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, but there is no need to panic. The best thing we can do is seek medical attention early if symptoms develop and continue practicing simple preventive measures that protect ourselves and those around us,” she said.
The QCESD has submitted to the Department of Health (DOH) test samples for genome sequencing to determine the Covid variant currently circulating in the community.
The CHD encouraged the wearing of face masks when sick or in crowded areas, proper hand hygiene, and heeding the advice of healthcare professionals to prevent infection from spreading.
In a statement Monday, the DOH said the sharp rise in Covid cases in Quezon City was confined only in specific areas.
The DOH said the 256 percent increase “does not accurately reflect the small absolute number, and requires much caution in interpretation.” The city’s data shows that about 125 cases have been reported cumulatively, which represents a 68 percent drop from the 389 cases reported in the same period last year.
“Of these recent cases, only 17 (14 percent) required hospital admission, while 108 (86 percent) were managed as outpatients, and 70 percent or majority have already recovered,” the DOH explained.