This after the city issued an Executive Order No. 43, allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces.
Despite the easing of face mask protocol, the city’s health sector remains on guard, maintains its rigorous campaign on minimum public health practices and continues to conduct free testing on suspected cases and close contacts.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the task force spokeperson said that given the accessibility of the vaccine, the city’s active COVID cases should be much lower, while fatalities due to the virus should be closer to zero.
There are still many who refused to get jabbed, she said.
The city last week (Sept. 11 to 17) recorded 436 new cases, which is slightly lower than the 516 new cases (equal to 15 percent positivity rate) reported the week prior (September 4 to 10), Sclosser said.
“Lately, the positivity rate fell to 10 percent on a daily basis. However, this does not mean that we no longer have an enemy, that it is okay, that we do not have to be on alert anymore because there are still a number of deaths due to COVID,” Schlosser said in a report from the City Information Office.
In the same week, the city also recorded a total of 16 deaths due to the virus, 7 were senior citizens while 4 belong Ito the 50-59 age bracket.
Two child deaths were also reported- one below the age of five, the other below 12.
She said nine of the 16 fatalities were unvaccinated.
Schlosser said getting vaccinated gives people the best chance at combatting the virus once infected, and is therefore indispensable in preventing COVID deaths.
The task force’s vaccination cluster will continue to deploy teams to vaccination hubs in district and barangay health centers and to mobile vaccination sites, Schlosser said, urging anew all Davaoeños to give time to avail themselves of the free shots.
“We have Saturday and Sunday vaccination, so I hope citizens will no longer use work as an excuse not to get inoculated,” Schlosser said.
Weekend vaccinations at the People’s Park, in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross will remain open on all weekends of September and will cater to clients aged 5 and beyond.
People’s Park weekend vaccination is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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