In a press release from the Davao City Information Office, the Covid-19 Task Force reported that as of January 16, the city recorded 493 new cases, bringing the total active cases to 2,229.
Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the city’s total Covid-19 cases are now at 56,175.
The city’s positivity rate also has reached 23.6 percent, which is higher than the five percent acceptable positivity rate.
Notably, the city’s positivity rate in the second half of December 2021 is at below one percent, signifying that the city’s Covid-19 cases were at a manageable state.
Compared to the previous weeks where there were no recorded critical risk barangays, the City Government listed for this week a total of 18 critical risk barangays, namely: 9-A, 15-B, 19-B, 34-D, 37-D, Bucana, Buhangin Proper, Cabantian, Catalunan Grande, Catalunan Pequeño, Maa, Matina Crossing, Sasa, Tacunan, Talomo Proper, Tibungco, Toril Proper, and V. Hizon Sr.
According to the Covid-19 Barangay Risk Assessment, the city has nine high-risk barangays, 20 high-risk barangays based on proximity to critical risk barangays, and 33 moderate risk barangays.
Due to the increased number of cases in the city, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) placed the city under Alert Level 3 from January 14 until January 31.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on Monday, January 17, that the city’s Covid-19 cases are at a surge.
While the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao has not reported any Omicron case in the city nor in the entire Davao Region, Duterte-Carpio said that the surge of cases in the city is likely due to the Omicron, which is reported to be the highly infectious variant of the virus.
Regardless of the variant, the mayor said the city would still be utilizing the same strategy in addressing the pandemic.
“This will be our fourth surge. We still use the same strategy nga gihatag sa atoa sa (that was given to us by the) national government sa (through) DOH: Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Reintegration. We add to that the management of the dead,” she said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
She added the city will intensify its vaccination and booster rollout.
Based on data from the Vaccination cluster as of January 15, the City Government has already administered anti-Covid-19 vaccines to a total of 1,207,885 individuals or 92.92 percent of the target population protection for the second dose.
The City Government has also administered the first dose to a total of 1,268,468 individuals or 97.58 percent of the target population protection.
A total of 121,050 Dabawenyos have also availed of the booster dose.
The target population for herd immunity is at 1,299,894.
Despite the increasing cases, the mayor said that there will be a “liberal implementation” of the city’s Alert Level 3 status, wherein no single establishment will be forced to close down.
The mayor also reminded the public to continuously practice the minimum health protocols.
