Stay vigilant

their exposures and travel histories," DOH said in a statement.

Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, DOH-Davao Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit head, said in a virtual presser on January 20, 2022, that the recent spike in Covid-19 cases the region could already be due to the omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2.

On January 19, 2022, DOH-Davao reported that the region recorded a total of 1,428 new Covid-19 cases. Of the new cases, Davao City accounted for 1,197 new Covid-19 cases, also its highest record in a single day. This is followed by Davao del Norte (100), Davao Oriental (52), Davao de Oro (38), Davao del Sur (37), and Davao Occidental (4). This is the highest number of new Covid-19 cases recorded for Davao Region and Davao City since the pandemic began in 2020.

The recent development, including the recent trend of Covid-19 cases, are a reminder that we are still in a pandemic. It is also a reminder for us to remain vigilant and follow minimum public health standards -- wearing of face masks, physical distancing, and getting a vaccine.

Vaccination, in particular, is seen to protect the general population and prevent overwhelming hospitals. Based on the January 15, 2022 data of DOH-Davao, 72.71 percent of active cases were unvaccinated individuals while 27.29 percent are full and partially vaccinated individuals.

"With the detection of the imported cases of Omicron variant, the Department of Health Davao Center for Health Development urges everyone to put your guards on against COVID19, to be responsible, not just for yourself but for the people around you. MaskHugas-Iwas-Airflow and vaccination, our best defense to curb the transmission," DOH-Davao.

On top of the minimum public health standards, let us also avoid mass gatherings, avoid bringing children to crowded areas, and self-isolating when having flu-like symptoms. — Sunnex