Manila Bulletin
Alert issued on possible spread in Cebu of UK coronavirus variant
Cebu province, including Cebu City, is now a "serious concern" due to a significant surge in COVID-19 cases, with new cases averaging 147 daily over the past week, a 67% increase.
The reproduction number in Cebu is at 1.57, higher than the national average of 0.96.
Experts from OCTA Research warn that Cebu could reach an average of 400 new cases daily within two weeks if current trends are not reversed.
This potential daily case count of 400 is comparable to the average when Cebu City was placed under enhanced community quarantine in June.
The concern is heightened by the possibility that the UK B.1.1.7 variant may be spreading in parts of Cebu, with swab samples of three recent returnees being sequenced.
Cebu province had averaged only 11 cases per day from December 11 to 17.
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OCTA Research has urged an investigation into whether the new COVID-19 variant has reached Cebu province, as its replication rate has increased in January compared to December.
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