LAOAG CITY—This capital city of Ilocos Norte has been flagged anew by the independent research group OCTA for being one of the high-risk areas of COVID-19 infections in the country.
In its latest report released on Monday (Aug. 2), OCTA said Laoag continues to see a significant rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, with the average number of daily cases rising by 10 percent from 68 to 75 cases within a week.
A “critical” infection rate in the city was also observed at 1.47 percent, according to the research group.
Laoag City is the only area outside of the National Capital Region which registered a critical average attack rate (ADAR) at 64.89 per 100,000 population, a figure which is 10 times higher than the ADAR recorded nationwide.
Among all the specimens tested from July 25 to 31 to determine the presence of the virus, the city’s positivity rate during the period was on a critical level, which is at 33 percent, it added.
On Sunday (Aug. 1), Laoag City reverted to enhanced community quarantine, the most restrictive form of quarantine, in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.