CEBU CITY, Cebu, Jan. 21 (PIA) -- Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on Jan. 20 has encouraged COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to undergo home care isolation, saying that the local government would help them and will distribute medicine kits house-to-house for their home treatment.

During a Network Briefing News interview, Rama also urged hospitals in Cebu City not to accept patients experiencing only mild symptoms as these cases can be treated at home and that the city will support home care isolation and monitoring.

He also assured the availability of online health and medical services or telemedicine and teleconsultation.

“Ang pinaka-importante, ito, yung hospital accommodations and monitoring. We are already in this directive, telling the private and public hospitals, kung pwede wag nang i-accommodate yung mga mild (cases),” said Rama.

The mayor made this call to amid the growing number of COVID-19 hospital admissions in Cebu City. 

The Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) reported that Cebu City’s hospital occupancy rate is now at moderate risk.

As of Jan. 18, the average utilization rate across all hospitals in the city is at 61.13% with the utilization rate of public hospital at 80.87%, and 41.67% for private hospitals.

“My directive in Cebu City is to distribute first the medicine kits house-to-house, lahat ng available na medicine kits ibigay muna house-to-house, wag mo nang palinyahin pa,” the mayor added. 

The city health office will conduct home distribution of medicine kits since this is one way to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in the city by avoiding large crowds in distribution areas.

Meanwhile, with the current uptick of COVID-19 cases in the city and the entry of “Omicron” variant, Rama reiterated his reminder to the Cebuanos to continue observing the health and safety protocols and obey the policies set by the local government in responding to the pandemic.

Rama advocates the WUHAN protocols which is an acronym for W – wash your hands, U – used your face mask in public places, H – have your temperature checked, A – avoid crowded places, and N - never touch your face, mouth, ears, and nose.

Cebu City on Jan. 20 logged 994 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the active cases to 5,375.

The number is the highest recorded additional COVID-19 cases in the city since the pandemic started. (RGC/PIA7)