Baguio Covid-19 cases rise to 17

By Dexter A. See  

BAGUIO CITY – The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in this city increased following the recent confirmation of two additional cases right after a 13-day drought.

            DOH-CAR regional director Dr. Amelita M. Pangilinan disclosed the latest confirmed COVID cases in the city was a 77-year old male stroke patient from Maria Basa,  Pacdal  and a 33-year old male nurse of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) residing in Camp 7.

            Of the 16 confirmed COVID cases in the city, she revealed 12 individuals were already discharged from the different health facilities in the city, 4 persons are confined in various hospitals while there was only 1 COVID-related death who was a 55-year old female working in a government agency who had co-morbidity symptoms.

            From March 17-28, 2020 or during the initial stages of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine, Baguio immediately recorded 14 confirmed COVID cases in the city that was followed by a 13-day lull.

            However, the city registered its 15th confirmed COVID case who was a 46-year old street sweeper and a resident of Upper Dagsian.

            Based on the latest advisory of the DOH-CAR, Baguio accounts for 73 percent of the total 23 cases in the region since the start of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

            Aside from the 23 COVID cases in the city, Benguet and Abra accounted for 3 cases each where all the 3 cases in Benguet were already given a clean bill of health while 2 of the 3 cases in Abra were discharged from the health facilities.

            Pangilinan reports that aggressive contact tracing has been done among close contacts of the latest confirmed cases for appropriate tests to be done to ensure did not contracted the disease and for them to undergo the required 14-day hoe quarantine until such time that they will be  cleared.

            The Cordillera remains to be one of the few regions in the country with the least number of confirmed COVID cases even with its four provinces of Apayao, Ifugao, Mountain Province and Kalinga, including the component city of Tabuk that have no confirmed cases to date.