LUCENA CITY — Quezon province recorded another high number of fatalities due to COVID-19 in a single day on Wednesday.
The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) bulletin at 5 p.m. on June 9, showed that 12 virus carriers succumbed to the disease.
The latest fatalities are from Candelaria town with 3; and Gumaca, Sariaya, Tiaong, Unisan, Macalelon, Mulanay, Real, Lucban, and Infanta, with one each.
The COVID-19 death toll in the province now stands at 575. Fifty of them died from June 1 to 9, and 125 died in May.
Lucena, the capital city of Quezon, has the highest number of fatalities at 97.
On May 23, Quezon saw its highest record of COVID-19 deaths in a single day with 13.
As of June 9, Quezon, which remains under general community quarantine, recorded 13,560 COVID-19 cases and 11,979 recoveries since March last year.
The province has been seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases since April, which had 2,276 new patients, and in May, with 2,355 from 815 cases in March.
The province has 1,006 active cases, with Lucena City recording the highest with 245 active infections as of June 9.
Dr. Grace Santiago, IPHO head, said the rising number of new cases could be partly due to the public’s disregard of health and safety protocols.
On Wednesday, Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala reactivated the 600-strong village marshals against COVID-19 protocol violators.
Alcala said the most lenient modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status in the city should not be a reason for the residents to be complacent in the battle against COVID-19.
“Everyone should continue the strict observance of the mandated health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus,” Alcala said in an earlier phone interview.
The BCTF was activated in December last year due to rising COVID-19 cases.
On March 7, the total active cases in the city dropped to seven.
The BCTF conducted regular patrols and accosted stubborn residents in the city’s 33 villages, who ignored quarantine regulations.
Ordinance violators were required to render community service and pay fines.