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MANILA - The rise of COVID-19 cases in Cebu City is "scary," its acting mayor said Tuesday.

The city has implemented a curfew and a liquor ban to curb virus spread, said Acting mayor Michael Rama.

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"We already have this concern about COVID rising and we described it (as) not just ordinary but scary," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

The city's hospitals can add more beds but it lacks medical personnel, Rama said.

"Marami namang bed, ang problem minsan is medical staff," he said.

(There are many beds, the problem is medical staff.)

"Yung critical care occupancy rate 'di pa umaabot kagaya noon but they're still not going to be complacent."

(The critical care occupancy rate has yet to reach previous high but hospitals are still not going to be complacent.)

City officials and hospital administrators will soon meet to address the lack of health workers, Rama said. Some nurses quit as they prepare for jobs abroad while others complain of low salary in private hospitals, he said.

"I believe meron din concern ang private hospitals in terms of medical staff kaya DOH (Department of Health) has to come into the picture and they are doing it. They are also on top of the situation," he said.

(I believe some private hospitals also have concerns regarding their medical staff so the DOH has to come into the picture and they are doing it.)

The city as of Monday has 1,663 active cases out of a total 29,349 infections, according to the DOH website.