LUCENA CITY –– Batangas recorded three more deaths from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Easter Sunday, April 4, amid the continuous surge of new virus cases in the province.
The Provincial Health Office (PHO), in its 3 p.m. April 4 bulletin, reported that two virus carriers in Tanauan City and one in Lemery town had died.
At least eight COVID-19 patients in the province have passed away since April 1.
The death toll in the province is now at 489. The latest data showed that 125 patients have died due to the illness since the start of 2021.
Last year, the province recorded 364 COVID-19 deaths.
The PHO also reported that the province logged 16,581 new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic was declared in March last year, with an addition of 287 new virus carriers on April 4.
Batangas City, the provincial capital, has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases with 2,904, followed by Lipa City, 2,307, and Tanauan City, 1,666.
Batangas, now under the general community quarantine (GCQ) status, still has 2,556 active COVID-19 cases.
Lipa City has the highest active cases with 557, followed by Batangas City with 256.
Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas has ordered the strict implementation of safety protocols under the latest guidelines from the national Inter-Agency Task Force to curb COVID-19 cases.
Mandanas also ordered more isolation facilities in strategic areas in the province to contain the continuous spike of new virus carriers.