Bontoc eases Covid rules; checkpoints out, travel on

By Liza Agoot 

BONTOC, Mountain Province – This capital town has eased quarantine rules and removed border checkpoints even with rising Covid-19 cases including the UKL Variant.
    Bontoc Councilor Jerome Tudlong, who chairs the committee on health and sanitation and incident commander of the Covid-19 B.1.1.7 -UK (United Kingdom) variant, in a post on social media last week bared this as he urged the public to strictly observe health protocoals.
    On Feb. 8, the central barangays of Bontoc including Barangay Tocucan reverted back to General Community Quarantine.
Restrictions were eased and border checkpoints in Samoki, Amlosong and Caluttit be removed and public transportation  allowed.
    Several villages in Bontoc -- Samoki, Poblacion, Bontoc Ili, Caluttit and Tocucan -- were earlier placed under ECQ to avoid people’s movement after 12 residents were infected with the Covid-19 B.1.1.7 -UK (United Kingdom) variant.
    The Provincial Health Office of Mountain Province reported 25 confirmed Covid-19 cases on Feb. 7.
    The new cases came from the towns of Bontoc with 17, Bauko with three, Sadanga with two, and one case each from Besao, Sabangan, and Sagada.
    There were also 42 recoveries reported -- 25 from Sadanga, nine from Sagada, and eight from Bontoc.
    Two deaths were reported in the province -- an 81-year-old female from Poblacion, Bontoc; and a 64-year-old female from Demang, Sagada.
    Mountain Province now has a total of 912 Covid-19 cases with 606 recoveries, 297 active cases, and nine recorded deaths. -- PNA