TACLOBAN CITY––The number of COVID-19 infections in Eastern Visayas breached the 40,000-mark on Wednesday, Aug. 25.
The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 177 new patients on Wednesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the region to 40,053.
Health officials said the presence of several variants and the loosening of health protocols by some local governments could have contributed to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the region.
The number of deaths due to COVID-19 complications is also increasing.
The latest fatalities include a 55-year-old man from Tanauan, Leyte, who died on Aug, 19, and a 57-year old man from Dulag, also in Leyte, who succumbed to the virus on Aug. 20.
In Baybay, Leyte, Mayor Jose Carlos Cari placed the city under modified general community quarantine with heightened protocols from Aug. 23 to Sept. 5.
No senior citizen and those below 18 years are allowed to leave their homes.
Liquor ban has also been imposed while business establishments shall close by 7 p.m., except the pharmacies. Public parks and hotels, except those used for returning residents and overseas workers as quarantine or isolation facilities, are also ordered closed during the period.
Baybay has 56 active COVID-19 cases with 25 deaths.
Dr. Jerome Profetana, city health officer, said the Delta variant could have contributed to the surge in COVID-19 cases in Baybay.
The DOH in the region has yet to confirm if the Delta variant has infected the city people.