By Froilan Gallardo
Special Correspondent

FOR the first time in two months, this city recorded 70 new coronavirus infections on the day of its patron saint, over the weekend.

The good news was followed by Malacañang's announcement that it had extended the quarantine status to the less restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine from September 1 to 7.

Under this less restrictive quarantine status, businesses like hotels and hotels are allowed to partially open in Cagayan de Oro.

Dr. Ted Yu of the City Health Office said only 70 infections were recorded while 81 Covid-19 patients have fully recovered.

Yu said five patients have died overnight at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center and other private hospitals.

Cagayan de Oro had been reeling with three-digit infections since July with cases reaching as high as 300 a day or romping 1,060 cases in one week early August.

“This is a wonderful gift from our patron saint, St. Augustine. We are happy for our residents,” Mayor Oscar Moreno said.

The UP research group in its August 25 monitoring report said it detected this downtrend with reproduction of Covid-19 infections decreasing from 1.38 percent to 1.15 percent in the past days.

“If the trends continue, Cagayan de Oro should see the start to see a decrease in new Covid-19 cases in one or two weeks,” the independent research group said.

The research group however said the hospital bed and ICU occupancy would remain at the critical level in Cagayan de Oro.
Moreno said 227 Covid-19 patients are still confined at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center, the regional referral hospital in Northern Mindanao.

“Of the 227 cases, 86 of them are fighting for their lives having listed as in critical condition,” He said.

Still, Moreno said last Saturday’s figures of new Covid-19 infections were “encouraging”.

He said the celebration of the Feast of St. Augustine, which is usually celebrated with festivals, rodeos, a beauty pageant and a colorful civic-military parade—is “sober” for the two years into the pandemic.

Moreno said he have banned the holding of all these events and discouraged residents of holding parties in their homes to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the highly infectious Delta variant.