Over 7,000 have died of COVID-19 in Central Visayas

Since the start of pandemic, over 7,000 people in Central Visayas have died because of COVID-19, Department of Health-7 data showed.

According to DOH-7 case bulletin on March 18, 2022, the region’s COVID-19 deaths have reached 7,030, including 10 additional deaths recorded that day.

Among provinces and highly urbanized cities in the region, Cebu province has the most number of deaths since the start of pandemic at 2,790.

Cebu City comes next with 1,679 deaths, followed by Negros Oriental with 837, Bohol with 679, Lapu-Lapu City with 506, Mandaue with 494, and Siquijor with 45.

Cebu province also has one of the highest case fatality rates in the country at 5.1% or 2,457 deaths out of the 48,330 total cases noted.

Aurora province leads in case fatality rate nationwide at 5.2% or 225 deaths out of 4,288 cases. Guimaras has a 4.5% rate after having 178 deaths out of the 3,992 cases.

Still, based on DOH’s tracker, the majority of the deaths noted in the country are seniors.

With this, DOH has asked LGUs to locate seniors for vaccination of the primary series and boosters, together with the rest of the eligible population.

In the Philippine Statistics Authority’s report earlier, Covid-19 is one of the top three causes of death in the country from January to November of 2021. The other two are ischemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases.

Deaths due to COVID-19 virus reached 67,494 deaths (9.6% share) in 2021, rising from rank 14 with 8,390 deaths (1.5% share) in the same period in 2020. Figures reported by PSA were based on the death certificates. —