Bicol virus cases continue to climb; logs highest 1-day new patients at 166

LEGAZPI CITY –– Bicol has logged 166 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases on Wednesday, April 21, the highest recorded since the viral infection struck the region in March last year, the Department of Health (DOH) in the region said Thursday.

The new patients brought to 1,290 the active cases in the region as of Thursday, the DOH bulletin said.

Twenty-five of the cases are severe and critical while the rest are mild and asymptomatic,

Of the 166 new cases, 11 require hospital admission. The rest are in isolation facilities in the region.

Camarines Sur has the highest number of cases, with 100 of which 38 are in Naga City, four in Iriga City, and the rest (58 cases) from the 20 towns of the province.

Albay has 23 new cases, 13 of which are in Legazpi City, three in Tabaco City, two each in Camalig and Daraga, and one each in Guinobatan, Malinao, and Ligao City.

Sorsogon has 22 new cases, 13 of which are in the capital Sorsogon City; three in Pilar; two in Prieto Diaz; one each in Bulusan, Casiguran, Irosin, and Juban; and four transient persons, with two from Taguig City, and one each from the cities of Manila and Quezon.

The DOH had logged 6,952 cumulative cases in Bicol since March last year, with 5,229 recoveries and 263 recorded deaths.

The province with the high number of cases are: Camarines Sur with 1,946 or 28 percent; followed by Naga City, with 1,213 (17 percent); Sorsogon – 1,079 (16 percent); Albay – 801 (12 percent); Masbate – 756 (11 percent); Catanduanes – 248 (3.5 percent); and Camarines Norte – 228 (3.2 percent).

Health authorities have admitted in a recent briefing that the spike in the COVID-19 cases in the region may be attributed to community transmission and non-compliance to minimum health protocols, like the wearing of face masks. INQ

LZB