The Department of Health (DOH) in Region 7 (Central Visayas) on Monday said the slight increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the region was caused by the delay in reporting of new cases and should not be a reason for alarm.

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, DOH-7 chief pathologist, said the Health agency is dependent on the data submitted by the local government units and submission is sometimes delayed.

She said that the three recoveries reflected on Sunday may not be accurate, emphasizing that “it is probable that the reporting is delayed for this group in the report”.

According to DOH-7 case bulletin released Sunday night, coronavirus cases in Central Visayas have slightly increased to 1,045 active cases with the addition of 63 new infections. Three recoveries and zero deaths were also reported.

Loreche, the designated spokesperson on Covid-19 in the region, said nearly 50 percent of the new active cases were traced to Cebu province. However, the DOH-7 could not identify as of press time the towns and cities for the 33 new cases.

She said that “the more active the contact tracing then more samples are submitted for testing and the more samples tested correspondingly, we have more cases discovered”.

Loreche added that the acceptance of more travelers from other provinces outside the region may also be a factor in the slight increase in cases.

“In short, more movement of people, more chances of transmission unless strict adherence to the minimum health standards are strictly implemented,” she said. (PNA)