COVID-19 cases rising in Luzon provinces

AWESOME VIEW Legazpi City, the capital of Albay and a key commercial and government hub in the Bicol region, is also home to the majestic Mayon Volcano, as seen from Barangay Puro of the city on July 7, luring in tourists. But residents are alerted this week by a slow but steady rise of COVID-19 cases in the region, 26 of which were in Legazpi. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

LEGAZPI CITY—The Bicol and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) regions and the City of San Fernando in Pampanga province have shown an increasing trend of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with some localities posting a surge that authorities linked to public complacency.

In its weekly report issued on Monday, the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol said it recorded 82 cases from June 26 to July 2, much higher than the 32 cases recorded from June 19 to June 25.

Dr. Ferchito Avelino, assistant chief of the DOH in Bicol, said the continuous increase could be attributed to the breach of basic health protocols among some residents, as the public became complacent amid the easing of restrictions.

“The trend of COVID-19 is increasing and if we do not act on this and increase the vaccination coverage in the region, the cases will continue to rise,” Avelino said in Monday’s press briefing.

The province of Albay recorded 37 cases, two in Camarines Norte, 17 in Camarines Sur, 13 in Catanduanes and 13 in Sorsogon. Six of them died while two were in severe condition.

Vax efforts

Legazpi City recorded the highest number of cases with 26 in just a week, but Mayor Geraldine Rosal said most of the cases were not severe and the patients were already isolated.In a private message on Tuesday, Rosal said they were ramping up the coverage of vaccination of vulnerable groups.

Legazpi has vaccinated 96.73 percent of its 171,766 target population—the highest vaccination coverage in the region, which has inoculated 72.33 percent of its 5 million target population.

In Calabarzon, at least 210 new COVID-19 cases were logged on Wednesday, the highest single-day tally in recent months.

DOH data showed the region posted 1,037 active infections on the same day, a sharp rise from only 113 active cases recorded on June 1.

In the City of San Fernando, 24 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Wednesday, its highest so far this year. —REPORTS FROM MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES, DELFIN T. MALLARI JR. AND JUN A. MALIG