Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Monday assured that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) situation in Cebu province is now manageable.

In a press conference at the Capitol, Garcia said the Covid-19 figures in the province showed that “there is no surge in coronavirus cases”.

The governor challenged a “medical expert” from the city who warned local government units (LGUs) in the province on residents not following the imposed health protocols under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to present data to back his claim.

Garcia said those who pictured the residents in towns and component cities as complacent and not following minimum health protocols such as mask wearing and physical distancing are a “disservice to our mayors who are working very hard to manage the increase of Covid-19”.

“You just don’t know the efforts exerted by the mayors in managing the coronavirus cases in their towns, as if they are doing nothing,” she said in Cebuano.

She quoted Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas regional director, Jaime Bernadas, as saying in a media report that the there is no surge in Covid-19 cases in the province as the data in the past four weeks showed that Cebu has 200 to 230 active cases.

She urged the medical experts to analyze the data, saying that “speculative and unfounded statements” on the Covid-19 situation in the province may send a misleading information to the authorities that decide on the quarantine qualifications in the localities.

The governor presented a data which showed that as of Sept. 12, the province has 505 active cases which is 10 percent of the 4,975 accumulated tally of individuals tested with Covid-19.

The data also showed that 83 percent (4,137) have already recovered while 333 patients or 6.7 percent died of the coronavirus infection.

“I don’t know what your game plan is. Under MGCQ, tourism in Cebu is allowed already. I’m warning you because of your unfounded statement, the province may face the risk to be reverted back to stricter classification,” Garcia said.

She admitted that increase in active infections in towns and component cities could have been caused by her decision to ease border restrictions in consonance with the effort to reopen the economy.

Garcia, however, said she was the first to implement the “We Trace”, a contact tracing app which is now being used by workers from the province in crossing the borders to the capital city.

On Sunday, Dr. Peter Mancao, president of Cebu Medical Society, said Covid-19 in the province may see another surge as many are not observing the proper health protocols.

Also, DOH-7 chief pathologist and Covid-19 spokesperson, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said while Central Visayas has already flattened the curve, the province has been a “cause of concern” and is closely monitored. (PNA)