Local health officials hold an emergency meeting on March 13 after Solsona town recorded a cluster of COVID-19 infections. Photo courtesy of Solsona municipal government
LAOAG CITY –– Ilocos Norte province has recorded 44 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Sunday, reflecting a spike in infections within a week, authorities said.
In its 11:30 p.m. bulletin, the provincial government said the latest tally was the third-highest number recorded in Ilocos Norte in a single day.
Records showed that the province logged its highest single-day infections on Nov. 29 last year with 92 cases, followed by 52 on Jan. 9.
Most of the new cases in the province were traced in the towns of Solsona (31), Pagudpud (21), and Batac City (15), data from the provincial government shows.
In Solsona, Mayor Joseph de Lara issued, on March 13, an executive order imposing an indefinite lockdown in five villages after a cluster of cases was observed there.
He also ordered the temporary closure of several tourist sites in the town, including the famed mountain ranges in Solsona-Apayao road, which attracted around 26,000 local visitors in the past two months.