TACLOBAN CITY –– Two more people in Eastern Visayas succumbed to complications caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The new fatalities were a 55-year-old man from Catbalogan City in Samar province, who died on Dec. 9, and a 68-year-old man from Balangiga town in Eastern Samar, who passed away on Dec. 10.
The two were immediately buried as part of the protocols on managing persons who died of COVID-19.
Eastern Visayas has 102 persons who died of COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
On Friday, 117 persons in the region contracted the virus, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 9,301.
The new cases were from Samar (54), followed by Leyte (48), Eastern Samar (13), and Northern Samar (1).
Among them was a provincial board member in Northern Samar, who is confined in one of the hospitals in Tacloban City.
The city government will impose strict policies to avert any possible surge in COVID-19 cases during the Christmas season.
City administrator Aldrin Quebec said mass gatherings, including caroling, would be strictly prohibited.
He said health protocols like social distancing and wearing of face masks should be observed even inside their homes.
“We have noticed that the increase of COVID-19 cases involved families because of gatherings. So observe social distancing and wear face mask,” Quebec said.
LZB