Returning residents wait for their COVID-19 test results at the Ilocos Norte provincial border. (Photo by John Michael Mugas)
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—All provinces in the Ilocos region are seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases after going through a surge brought about by the Omicron variant, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
On Wednesday (Feb 23), only 45 new cases were recorded in the region, local DOH data showed.
The region logged a daily average of 944 COVID-19 cases during the first weeks of January.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 21, the region logged at least 21,139 COVID-19 cases, pushing the total number of cases to 115,521 since the pandemic broke out.
In a statement, DOH Regional Director Paula Sydiongco said even though cases in the region continue to plummet, safety protocols should not be eased because “we are still in the state of pandemic.”
“The [virus] is still here, that is why it is important that we continue our vaccination activities to complete the three doses needed for the full protection of our population,” Sydiongco said.
On Feb. 16, the Ilocos region reverted to COVID-19 Alert Level 2, which authorized increased movement among residents and a maximum of 50-percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
RELATED STORY:
Ilocos region provinces revert to COVID-19 Alert Level 2