Baguio under ECQ until May 15

BAGUIO CITY was included in the Covid-19 lockdown until May 15.  

BAGUIO CITY -- This summer capital will be under enhanced community quarantine until May 15.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong bared this Saturday, adding

                 Benguet was also included on the list of areas deemed ”high-risk” for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection based on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

He said Baguio, though a chartered city, is geographically part of Benguet.

Magalong said sectoral planning activities on a post-quarantine recovery and transition plan would proceed as scheduled.

He said eight new cases, including two doctors, a nurse and a clerk at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) were recorded in the city on Saturday.

The two other patients are overseas Filipino workers from the US, an employee at the Baguio Country Club and an eight-day-old infant. 

                 Magalong placed Barangay Dominican, Woodsgate Subdivision Camp 7, Sto. Tomas proper and the BGHMC compound on lockdown while contact tracing is ongoing.

“We will start disinfecting wards and temporarily stop admissions. We will communicate with other hospitals on this matter. We will continue with the triage,” BGHMC chief Ricardo Ruñez said.

Twenty-five of the 34 COVID-19 cases in the Cordilleras are from Baguio City.

New COVID cases in Cagayan Valley

Meanwhile, Cagayan Valley reported two new cases Saturday. The patients are two nurses at the Southern Isabela Medical Center in Santiago City.

                Hospital chief Ildefonso Costales said the nurses were exposed to a medical technologist who has recovered from the disease.

An elderly resident of Barangay Calitlitan, Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.

The patient was brought to the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital in Bambang town last week after manifesting flu-like symptoms then transferred to the Regional Trauma Hospital in Bayambang.

Cagayan Valley was declared COVID-free after its remaining patient has recovered on April 21. The region recorded 27 patients at the time. Twenty-six patients have recovered and one died.

In Bulacan, a patient from San Jose del Monte City has recovered while another case was recorded on Friday.

There are now 105 cases in the province, with 24 deaths and 13 recoveries.

The Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center will not be closed even though 55 of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, Cesar Cassion, Department of Health (DOH)-Central Luzon regional director, said.

Cassion said 312 hospital employees tested negative for the virus while 655 others are waiting for their test results. – With Raymund Catindig, Ramon Efren Lazaro andDesacada, Ding Cervantes