THE NUMBER of children infected with Covid19 in Quezon City surged to 318 from August 1 to 7, the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit reported on Friday.

Of this number, 169 were aged 0 to 11, while 149 were aged 12 to 17.

The city government said that the figure was 293 percent higher than last month. Only 81 children contracted Covid19 from July 1 to July 7.

“One factor that caused these infections among children could be the improper way by which Covid19 positive adults quarantine themselves. There are those who stay at home and do not self-report to CESU,” said City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit Chief Dr. Rolando Cruz.

Cruz said the city government is continuously ramping up its contact tracing efforts.

“But ultimately, we need everyone’s cooperation. We are appealing to anyone who is experiencing symptoms to please inform CESU immediately,” he added.

Dr. Esperanza Arias, head of the City Health Department, said that the city government  expanded its HOPE community care facilities to accommodate more children who tested positive for Covid19.

“We’re adding more family rooms to avoid children being separated from their families. We want to provide optimum care and take into account the psychological well-being of these children as well,” Arias said.