Dengue cases raise alert levels in Laoag City

LAOAG CITY—Mayor Michael Fariñas has recommended a state of calamity to be declared in the city due to a growing number of dengue cases.

In a special staff meeting on Thursday, city health officer Renato Mateo said the current number of dengue cases is near outbreak level.

“We expect to breach the outbreak level but not necessarily a calamity level. In my opinion, we can declare it as an outbreak level,” he said.

According to the city health office, 186 residents have fallen ill due to dengue from January to July this year. The province recorded five dengue-related deaths this year.

Mateo, however, said the current number of dengue cases was still lower than what was reported during the same period last year. He could not immediately provide previous dengue records.

Fariñas said he will ask the city council to immediately declare a state of calamity so the city can use its calamity fund to help victims and buy additional fogging machines.

He said the city government can use its local disaster risk and reduction management fund as a quick response fund for relief and recovery efforts.

Before Fariñas’ recommendation for a citywide calamity state declaration, village officials had declared a state of calamity in their villages when residents, most of them children, started contracting fever as a result of dengue. Cristina Arzadon, Inquirer Northern Luzon