Quezon logs record-high 185 new COVID-19 cases

LUCENA CITY – Health authorities in Quezon province reported 185 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the  highest single-day tally that eclipsed the 158 cases on August 26.

The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), in its 5 p.m. bulletin issued on Aug. 27, showed that Sariaya town had the most number of new cases with 38, followed by Tayabas City with 26.

Quezon, which remains under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions until the end of the month, has 1,730 active cases from only 705 on July 23.

Lucena City, the provincial capital, has topped the list with 384 active virus carriers.

The death toll also rose to 930 after the IPHO recorded eight recent fatalities.

One hundred sixty-nine of the total deaths were recorded this month.

The continued increase in COVID-19 cases has been taking its toll on health care workers in government and private hospitals in the province, according to Governor Danilo Suarez.

“Most hospitals in COVID-19 stricken towns and cities are now full of patients,” Suarez said.

On Friday, Aug. 27, the Mount Carmel Diocesan General Hospital (MCDGH) here, one of the biggest private medical facilities in the province, announced that its COVID-19 ward and emergency room (ER) are already at full capacity.

“We have patients waiting at the ER and even at the parking area,” the hospital administration said in its social media page.

The hospital urged patients with COVID-19 symptoms to seek care and treatment in other medical facilities.

The MCDGH also encouraged the public to get vaccinated and follow health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.

Data from the IPHO showed that 84,455 residents in Quezon received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Aug. 20, while 236,409 received the first dose.

Quezon would need to inoculate at least 1,485,981 of its 2,122,830 population to achieve herd immunity.

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