LUCENA CITY––The number of active COVID-19 cases in Quezon province continued to drop, but only two towns remained free of the viral disease.
The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) reported Wednesday that active infections plunged to 1,253 from 1,805 cases logged on Jan. 21.
The significant drop was due to mass recoveries of infected patients that surpassed the tally of new infections across the province in the past few days.
However, the threat of spreading COVID-19 in Quezon remained high amid the more contagious Omicron variant.
Of 41 municipalities in the province, those with active virus carriers jumped to 49 from six on Dec. 27.
Only the island towns of Panukulan and Patnanungan off the Pacific Ocean remained COVID-free as of Jan. 26.
From Jan. 1 to 26, Quezon recorded 3,611 new COVID-19 patients, a sharp increase from 64 in December and 211 in November. The province had nine active cases on Dec. 22, 2021.
During the same period, the IPHO listed 2,372 recoveries.
Quezon recorded 30 COVID-related deaths this month.
Col. Joel Villanueva, Quezon police chief, reported that 8,469 individuals were held from Jan. 21 to 26 for violating local ordinances and health and safety protocols amid the spike of new COVID-19 cases.
The violators were issued citation tickets, warned, rendered community service, and paid fines for violating curfew hours, not wearing face masks, and not observing safe distancing.