Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH 7), told SunStar Cebu that Cebu Province, including the three highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, logged the biggest number of Covid-19 deaths at 629.
This is 89 percent of the 706 deaths recorded in the region during the period.
In the month of May, Cebu Island still logged 77 deaths in private and public hospitals despite having few Covid-19 cases.
Loreche, however, said there has been a downward trend in the number of deaths.
She said Cebu Island logged the biggest number of deaths in January with 202, while 168 and 101 were reported in February and March, respectively.
In April, Cebu logged 81 Covid deaths.
Loreche noted that there was a surge in Covid-19 cases in Central Visayas in the first three months of the year due to the Omicron variant.
She also disclosed that about 72.8 percent or 458 individuals of the 629 who died in Cebu Island were unvaccinated against the virus.
Loreche, however, said the admitted patients were not all residents of Cebu, while the number of deaths was also not only for that period as the numbers are reported as they come.
Lifestyle
The chief pathologist further said 575 of the 706 deaths in the region were Covid-related deaths while 131 were Covid deaths.
Loreche said Covid-related deaths are not purely due to Covid-19, explaining that patients were admitted to hospitals because of other reasons such as stroke, heart attack, or the need for elective surgery.
“But most of the Covid-related deaths are lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular diseases,” she said.
As of Wednesday, June 1, Central Visayas had about 88 Covid-19 active cases.
Reminding the public that Covid-19, including the emergence of variants of concern and their subvariants, is still occurring, Loreche urged the continued observance of the minimum public health standards.
“Let’s keep our masks on, have our vaccines and booster shots, and possibly stay in well-ventilated areas. In so doing, we can truly live with Covid,” she said.