Quezon City has officially declared a dengue outbreak after witnessing a dramatic 200% increase in cases from January 1 to February 14. Mayor Joy Belmonte announced the outbreak during a press conference, emphasizing the city’s commitment to tackling the crisis head-on. The city has activated all its resources to manage the outbreak, ensuring that healthcare services are readily available and that residents, especially children, are protected from the potentially fatal disease.
According to the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, there were 1,769 reported dengue cases during the mentioned period, marking a significant rise compared to the previous year. A concerning 58% of these cases were among school-aged children aged 5 to 17, while 44% involved children aged 1 to 10. Tragically, the outbreak has claimed the lives of ten residents, with eight of them being minors.
Mayor Belmonte urged parents to be proactive in safeguarding their children’s health and to participate in community clean-up efforts to prevent mosquito breeding. To enhance early detection and treatment, all 66 health centers in the city have been instructed to operate daily, including weekends, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additionally, fever express lanes have been set up in health centers and hospitals to expedite care for those showing dengue symptoms.
The city is also providing free dengue test kits to residents. Barangay spraying teams are conducting fogging operations in high-risk areas, supervised by sanitary inspectors, and larviciding efforts are underway to eliminate mosquito breeding sites in water bodies. Residents are encouraged to use mosquito repellents, wear protective clothing, and remove any stagnant water from containers, tires, and drainage systems to prevent further spread of the disease.