COVID-19 death toll in Quezon province now 252

LUCENA CITY—The province of Quezon has been recording COVID-19 fatalities for three successive days with two more patients dying on Wednesday (Feb. 24), raising the death toll to 252.

In a 5 p.m. bulletin, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said two COVID-19 patients from this city and the town of Infanta died on Thursday.

No details were made available on the latest fatalities, which were the third batch in as many days.

On Feb. 23, the Lucena public information office reported the death of two patients in two villages—Ibagang Dupay and Domoit.

On Feb. 22, two COVID-19 patients died in Ibabang Dupay and the village of Ibabang Iyam.

The total death toll in the province jumped to 252. At least 62 were from Lucena.

As of Feb. 24, Quezon, which is still on modified general community quarantine status, has recorded 7,216 COVID-19 cases and 6,781 recoveries.

The province still has 183 active cases.

In an earlier interview, Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez said he has allocated P1 billion for the province-wide vaccination program which seeks to immunize at least 1.8 million residents.

No vaccine brand had been mentioned, though.

The number of daily cases in Lucena has dropped to 19, its lowest, after peaking at 279 per day on Oct. 20, 2020.

Lucena authorities attributed the decline in cases to strict implementation of health protocols by more than 600 members of community task forces against COVID-19.

Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala said the city government has allotted P350 million for vaccines and aims to administer these to at least 60 to 70 percent of the city population to achieve herd immunity.

Herd immunity is a condition wherein a virus transmitted by humans stops spreading because enough people had developed immunity to it.

TSB