POSTHOLIDAY SPIKE Baguio City continues to deal with a surge in COVID-19 infections, which health authorities associated with travel and clan gatherings during the recent holidays. Its neighboring towns and provinces are also faced with rising COVID-19 cases—EV ESPIRITU
BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday classified the Cordillera region as a “high-risk” area for the coronavirus disease due to the increasing virus attack and growth rates.
Records from the DOH-Cordillera showed that the region recorded a 199-percent growth rate of the virus in the last two weeks, which indicated an alarming surge of infections.
The region also posted a rising average daily attack rate, which refers to the infections over the total population in a given area.
As of Thursday, there were 1,687 active COVID-19 cases in Cordillera, most of which were recorded in Baguio City and in the provinces of Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province.
Baguio’s 464 new COVID-19 cases remained the highest in the region, records from the DOH showed.
Restricted movements
In Tabuk City, Kalinga’s capital, a 14-day enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will again be imposed following the recommendation of local health officials.
Tabuk City Mayor Darwin Estrañero said the hard lockdown will start on Jan. 24 or Jan. 25.
The city has 34 new infections and 185 active infections as of Thursday, which were the highest in the entire Kalinga.
Dr. Henrietta Linden Bagayao, Tabuk City health officer, said the lockdown will limit the movement of people to prevent the spread of the virus and help expand the city’s health system capacity.
Estrañero appealed to his constituents to strictly follow the health protocols under the new quarantine status to contain the infections.
“Nobody else can help us but ourselves,” he said in a statement.
Full capacity
All quarantine facilities in the city have already reached the full capacity, Estrañero revealed.At least four towns in Kalinga also locked down several villages due to surging infections.
Earlier, Mountain Province’s capital town of Bontoc was placed on a 14-day lockdown that started on Jan. 18.
The DOH said the level of COVID-19 infections in Kalinga and Mountain Province has been classified as “critical risk.”
Cordillera registered 10,582 COVID-19 cases since March last year with 142 deaths as of Thursday.