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MANILA — Coronavirus cases in Davao City continue to increase because some residents are not following minimum health standards such as wearing of face masks and practicing physical distancing, the health department said Friday.

“Nakausap natin yung RESU (Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit) nila yung compliance sa minimum health standards ang isa sa issues nila,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a virtual briefing when asked about the reason for the recent increase.

(We were able to talk to their RESU and compliance to minimum health standards is one of the issues.)


“We are closely coordinating with them because their health care utilization also is nearing the moderate risk,” she said, referring to the capacity of hospital beds.

Vergeire said they will give the data on COVID-19 cases to the Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19 to discuss the issue.

According to the DOH COVID-19 tracker, Davao City has a total of 10,340 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Weekly cases were at more than 300 cases since October. Davao City has also been regularly included in the list of areas with the most number of new cases.

In OCTA Group’s January 12 report, it highlighted Davao del Sur including Davao City as among “provinces of concern” due to an increase in new cases and the positivity rate or the percentage of people testing positive was above 10%.