QC raises Covid red alert
The city’s early warning system, established in June 2022, monitors cases, analyzes trends, and recommends measures to prevent outbreaks.
Photo/Analy Labor
Daily TribuneThe city’s early warning system, established in June 2022, monitors cases, analyzes trends, and recommends measures to prevent outbreaks.
Photo/Analy Labor
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte urged residents over the weekend to practice basic precautionary measures like wearing masks in public and staying home if they experience symptoms, as the city's Covid-19 alert level was raised to red.
The decision came after the city recorded a 57.9 percent increase in average daily Covid-19 cases for the week of 4 to 7 December, compared to the previous week.
The average positivity rate based on conducted tests jumped to 14.55 percent, while the average daily attack rate per 100,000 population reached 0.85. The forecasted reproduction number currently sits at 1.
Mayor Belmonte stressed the importance of continuing safety measures, especially with the increase in cases.
She said, "These are basic precautionary measures that we have been doing for the past years. It is important that we continue implementing this for our safety especially now that cases are rising."
The city's early warning system, established in June 2022, monitors cases, analyzes trends, and recommends measures to prevent outbreaks.
Based on the system's parameters and current data, the red status alert was triggered due to a growth rate exceeding 50 percent and an average positivity rate above 5 percent.
Dr. Rolando Cruz, chief of the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, attributed the surge to holiday gatherings and relaxed mask-wearing guidelines.
"We have seen in the past years during the height of the pandemic that holiday seasons really attract more cases. Since the chilly weather can also affect the immunity of our people, we would like to remind our QCitizens to remain vigilant especially for Covid-like symptoms such as cough, colds and fever," he said.
As of 7 December, there are 186 active Covid-19 cases in Quezon City.