Eastern Visayas has 84 new COVID-19 cases

TACLOBAN CITY –– At least 84 new cases of the COVID-19 were recorded in Eastern Visayas on Friday, bringing its total number of infections to 5,195.

The new cases were from Leyte with 36; Samar, 20; Northern Samar, seven; and Southern Leyte, one.

The Department of Health (DOH) in the region has identified 18 barangays where there are more than three infected persons.

Of these villages, nine are in Calbayog City, Samar province; four in Catbalogan City, also in Samar; and one each from Tacloban City and the towns of Barugo, Palo, Kananga, all in Leyte; and one from Liloan, Southern Leyte.

In Calbayog City, Mayor Ronald Aquino has placed 16 barangays in the city under “hard lockdown” for 14 days starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9.

According to Councilor Christopher Corsiga, ground commander of the city’s inter-agency task force, said these villages have a high number of COVID-19 cases.

“The hard lockdown is only for 14 days. This is one way to decrease our COVID-19 cases. We need your cooperation, especially the barangay officials. If there is a need for them to put up a checkpoint, they can do it. We want to lessen the mobility of our people (in these areas) so the viral transmission will be limited,” Corsiga said in a radio interview.

Calbayog currently has 336 COVID-19 cases with two deaths.

LZB