Aurora province now free of COVID-19, eases restrictions

Aurora folk visit the night market in the capital town of Baler. (Photo courtesy of the Baler Municipal Government)

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga––The lone COVID-19 patient in Aurora province has recovered Tuesday, Dec. 14, leaving it with zero active cases, the provincial government disclosed Wednesday.

Aurora is the first province in Central Luzon to become free of COVID-19.

Since the pandemic began last year, the province has recorded 3,637 total COVID-19 cases. At least 3,403 of them had recovered from the disease, while 234 had died. It has a fatality rate of 6.4 percent, the highest in the region.

On June 8 this year, Aurora had 631 active cases, its highest number since the pandemic started in 2020.

Leandro Dungca, a staff member of the Aurora emergency operations center, told the Inquirer over the phone Thursday that the province had 862 new cases in June.

He said the day-to-day lives of Aurora residents were gradually returning to normal, with families allowed to go to parks and other places with Christmas decorations like the provincial capitol ground.

“There are fewer restrictions under Alert level 2, but there is still police visibility in places people frequently visit, and minimum health standards like proper wearing of face masks enforced,” he said.

Dungca said the provincial and municipal governments in Aurora have also allowed the operations of day and night markets to allow residents to shop for the holiday season.

The Baler municipal government announced Wednesday on its social media page that the weekend market at the town plaza would be open from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. daily. INQ

Photo attached

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Aurora folk visit the night market in the capital town of Baler. (Photo courtesy of the Baler Municipal Government)

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TAGS: COVID-19, Aurora province, regions