Barangay Luz in Cebu records 82 COVID-19 cases in one day

Barangay Luz in Cebu records 82 COVID-19 cases in one day
Cebu City, as of April 16, has a total of 161 cases and 135 of which are from Barangay Luz. (Image from Cebu Daily News – INQUIRER.net)

Barangay Luz in Cebu was immediately placed under “community lockdown” after it recorded 82 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on Friday.

On Friday, April 17, 2020, Labella announced 82 new cases from Sitio Zapatera in Barangay Luz and two new cases in Barangay Labangon.

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“We have to contain [this],” Mayor Edgardo Labella said after placing Barangay Luz under lockdown after the COVID-19 cases Sitio Zapatera reached 135. Authorities considered Sitio Zapatera as the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the city.

During the lockdown, around 30,000 residents are prohibited from going out of the barangay. Its officials will distribute food packs and other essential goods to each household.

Those who were infected will be placed in isolation at a high school in Barangay Luz. Labella also ordered the separation of all 134 asymptomatic cases from Sitio Zapatera in the nearby Barrio Luz National High School.

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Barangay Luz in Cebu records 82 COVID-19 cases in one day

The joint forces of police and military were deployed to ensure the residents of Barangay Luz would not violate the community lockdown.

Labella also said they would continue and expand the mass testing despite the city health department’s earlier statement that they would stop it. The Department of Health also said Friday that testing would continue at Sitio Zapatera.

“No, that is not true. In fact, we are expanding it,” said Labella.

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Meanwhile, Luz Barangay Captain Ronelio Sab-a said they were caught off guard by the immediate community lockdown.

“Di mi ready aning lockdown. Hopefully, magkastorya mi ni Mayor karon kay wa gyud koy chance makigstorya niya ani. Wa pa gani mi na-settle problema sa Sitio Zapatera unya ang tibuok barangay na nuon ang i-lockdown?” he said.

(We are not ready for a lockdown. Hopefully, we can talk with the mayor because we never got a chance to talk about it. We have not yet settled the problem in Sitio Zapatera, and now the entire barangay is under lockdown?)

Also read: Cebu lab tests 1k samples for COVID-19

COVID-19 cases in Cebu City

Cebu City, as of April 16, has a total of 161 cases; 135 of which are from Barangay Luz. Other barangays with confirmed COVID-19 cases are:

  • Guadalupe – 6 (5 laboratory negative)
  • Labangon – 3
  • Talamban – 3 (2 dead, 1 laboratory negative)
  • Banilad – 2 (1 laboratory negative)
  • Kinasang-an – 2 (Both laboratory negative)
  • Sambag 2 – 2 (Both laboratory negative)
  •  Babag 2 – 1 (laboratory negative)
  • Calamba – 1 (laboratory negative)
  • Camputhaw – 1 (Dead)
  • Capitol – 1 (laboratory negative)
  • Cogon Ramos – 1 (laboratory negative)
  • Mambaling – 1
  • Oprra – 1
  • Sta. Cruz – 1 (Dead