Cavite is the province that has the highest COVID-19 cases in the Philippines reported in August, based on the data of the Department of Health (DOH) analyzed by GMA News Research.
The province recorded 1,708 additional COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising the count of total infections to 109,934.
Of the total, 12,419 remain active, 96,589 have recovered, while 926 succumbed to the disease.
Cavite was followed by other areas inside the so-called NCR Plus which are Laguna at 87,062 total cases and Bulacan at 73,294.
Meanwhile, Quezon City and Manila are the top two cities with the highest total COVID-19 cases nationwide at 128,522 and at 82,000, respectively.
COVID-19 transmission seen in households, neighborhoods
At the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor City, a doctor has observed that the family and neighbors of a patient infected with COVID-19 often also catch the virus thus driving the surge of infections at some areas in Cavite.
“Kapag tinanong mo ‘yong contact tracing nila, mabilis talaga ang paghawa. Kumbaga sa pamilya, madalas may kasama sa pamilya, may dagdag na kapamilya [ang] nahahawa,” Dr. Ana Maria Elena Gabuten, the hospital’s chief of clinics, told ABS-CBN News.
Household transmission was also detected among patients in Indang and Imus, according to the same report.
Some hospitals in Cavite reach full capacity amid COVID-19 spike
Amid the ballooning number of infections, these hospitals and isolation facilities in Cavite are nearing or have already reached full capacity in their COVID-19 wards:
- Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Bacoor City
- DLSU Medical Center in Dasmariñas City
- Ospital ng Imus in Imus City
- Binakayan Hospital and Medical Center and San Pedro Calungsod Medical Center in Kawit
- Noveleta MedCare Center in Noveleta
- Tanza Specialists Medical Center in Tanza
- Isolation facilities in Kawit, Indang, Tanza, and General Mariano Alvarez
Latest data from the DOH showed that the ICU bed capacity in Cavite is nearly at 92%.
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Cavite was supposed to be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) only until August 31, but it was extended until September 7.
To recall, Governor Jonvic Remulla was cold to the idea of placing Cavite under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) despite the COVID-19 surge supposedly due to its negative impact to the province’s economy.
The Philippines is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases partly because of the more virulent Delta coronavirus variant. The country logged 18,528 additional cases on Sunday — the second single-day increase since the pandemic began last year.
Thumbnail hoto by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash
