FILE / STOCK
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — The number of weekly COVID-19 cases slightly increased in the Ilocos region, with 102 individuals infected with the virus between Jan. 8 and 14, according to the regional Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, Jan. 16.
The figure was slightly higher by 5.2 percent than the number of cases tallied a week after the holiday celebrations, or from Jan. 1 to 7, the DOH said.
One of the 102 new cases was tagged as severe and critical.
The DOH also verified at least one death due to the virus in the previous week.
Health facilities catering to COVID-19 patients in the region remained operating at a “safe” level, with 29 out of the 214 intensive care unit (ICU) beds set aside for suspect, probable, and confirmed cases occupied.
The DOH said that 154 of the 1,277 non-ICU beds were also occupied.
Out of the provinces in the Ilocos region, La Union and Pangasinan were among the areas in the country that logged the most new COVID-19 cases on Monday, with five cases, respectively, according to the data from independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research.
The region already has at least 3.8 million fully vaccinated individuals against COVID-19, or equivalent to 102 percent of the 3.7 million target individuals.
According to the regional DOH, at least 39 percent of the 1.4 million fully vaccinated individuals had received their first booster dose against the virus. INQ