Taguig focuses on economic reopening with low Covid-19 cases

Cayetano said this indicates that the city has managed to control the transmission of Covid-19 with fewer people contracting the virus. (File photo: Lino Cayetano/Facebook)

MANILA – With the City of Taguig gaining the upper hand in its efforts to contain the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Mayor Lino Cayetano on Thursday said they are focusing on helping business establishments open safely and responsibly to jumpstart their economy as part of their transition to the “new normal”.

“The city believes that the enforcement of health protocols in commercial areas and offices is now the key area we need to focus on,” he said in a news release.

The city’s campaign against Covid-19 can be qualified as a major success as it has attained the lowest number of active cases among the cities in the National Capital Region, having only 19 active cases per 100,000 population.

Cayetano said this indicates that the city has managed to control the transmission of Covid-19 with fewer people contracting the virus.

Among the other cities with the lowest active cases per 100,000 population are Muntinlupa (33), Parañaque (33), Caloocan (36), and Las Piñas (37).

On the other hand, the average active cases per 100,000 population in NCR is still at 68 based on official data released by each local government unit in Metro Manila.

Cayetano said their success was made possible through the local government’s PDITR strategy—Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate. This enabled the city to garner lower cases and an increase in recoveries.

Alongside this strategy is the creation of infrastructures such as the newly launched Lakeshore Mega Complex which houses the Taguig Molecular Laboratory, Taguig National Testing Facility, and Lakeshore Hotel Mega-Quarantine Facility.

Cayetano said this strategy allows for faster and easier processing of specimens, conducting accessible PCR tests, and assisting Covid-19 patients in their recovery.

As of October 13, a total of 59,302 PCR tests were conducted. This represents 6.01 percent of Taguig’s local population.

The total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the city stands at 8,136 and the recoveries have reached 7,893 which translate to a 97-percent recovery rate.

Meanwhile, the cumulative death toll remains at 60 with the city’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR) at 0.74 percent, which is also among the lowest case fatality rates in the country.

The city has 183 active cases, the lowest in two months.

Despite this progress on the Covid-19 battle, Cayetano urged his constituents and stakeholders to remain vigilant.

He added the local government ensures to continue the interventions against Covid-19 and its transmission, as well as creating initiatives and other programs aimed to help Taguig and its citizens in the new normal. (PR)