Cebu City COVID cases hit 1,723

CEBU, Philippines — Twenty-one more residents of Cebu City tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) yesterday.

Seven of the new cases are from Barangays Mabolo and Trea Borces.

There are now 1,723 cases in Cebu City.

The city health office said two patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 78.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city was a result of contact tracing and mass testing.

Labella said testing of at least 10 percent of residents would be conducted to get a clearer picture of the rate of infection.

He ordered the transfer of asymptomatic patients to barangay isolation centers for monitoring by the Department of Health and city health office.

Those who have recovered will be transferred to an isolation facility for another 14 days of quarantine.

As this developed, Labella issued an executive order placing the city under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 31 in line with Resolution 37 of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The cities of Cebu and Mandaue are the only areas in the country that will remain under ECQ. Mary Ruth Malinao