The local government of Quezon City on Saturday declared a dengue outbreak, citing a continuing surge in cases in the city.
“Our declaration of a dengue outbreak ensures that we are on top of the situation, and we are doing everything we can to protect our residents from this deadly disease, especially our children,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
From January 1 to February 14, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (CESD) of the city’s health department recorded 1,769 dengue cases, nearly 200 percent higher than last year’s 609 cases.
A total of 58 percent of the reported cases involved school-aged children (5 to 17 years old), while 44 percent are children ages 1 to 10.
Meanwhile, 10 Quezon City residents, including eight minors, passed away from the disease.
“Children comprise most of the victims of this deadly disease. This is why I call on my fellow parents to cooperate with us in protecting our children against dengue. Let us be alert on how our children are feeling and lead clean-up drives in our communities,” Belmonte said in Filipino.
All 66 Quezon City health centers will be open during the weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate all possible dengue patients, especially as a primary solution to address late diagnosis.
The city’s health centers and hospitals also provided free dengue test kits and established fever express lanes as a swift response to the dengue symptom.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Quezon City declares dengue outbreak.”