AFTER logging modest numbers of confirmed Covid-19 cases, Cebu City saw the number of cases climb from 23 on April 7 to 161 after 10 days. Majority of the cases — 135 — are in Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz (or Barrio Luz as the barangay is popularly known as). Sitio Zapatera is said to house as many as 9,000 residents. It is one of Cebu City’s most congested neighborhoods with numerous boarding houses. While the area is often referred to as an urban poor area, many residents are actually professionals such as call center agents. Zapatera is located within walking distance of the city’s premier business district.

The immediate explanation for the shocking increase in the number of infections is that the Cebu City government is now — more than two weeks into the enhanced community quarantine — conducting hundreds of tests on a daily basis. The city health department has also been more aggressive in contact tracing.