COVID UPDATES: Northern Luzon

2,375 Kalinga Covid-19 cases; 2 patients UK variant carriers

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Rural Health Unit of Lubuagan town has started tracing the contacts of two Covid-19 patients confirmed infected with B.1.1.7 United Kingdom (UK) variant.
    Kalinga recorded 2,375 positive Covid-19 cases with 96 active cases and 23 deaths as of March 14
    Dr. Edward Tandingan, provincial health officer of Kalinga Monday said the two confirmed cases were both males, aged five and seven years old of Poblacion, Lubuagan.
    He said the two were confirmed positive for Covid-19 on Feb. 17 and since then were under isolation.
    Tandingan said based on record of the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESO), the two patients tested negative of the virus on March 3 and 8, respectively, after reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
    However, the Philippine Genome Center on Monday confirmed that the two were positive with the Covid-19 UK variant thus,  Tandingan said, the RHU team is contact tracing up to the third generation contacts with technical guidance from the Dept/ of Health’s regional and provincial health offices.
    In a post on the official social media page of the Kalinga provincial government, it said: “the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (PIATF) against Covid-19 has initially ordered that the patients be under strict isolation for 14 days and that all contacts and contacts of contacts be put under quarantine and be tested as appropriate.”
    The provincial government also said Kalinga Gov. Ferdinand Tubban  urged the Regional Health Unit and local government of Lubuagan to work together to facilitate rapid contact tracing to immediately identify those who need to be quarantined and tested so transmission of the infection can be stopped.
    Tubban said the provincial government is coordinating with concerned agencies and monitoring the situation, and if necessary, come up with appropriate quarantine measures for Lubuagan.—PNA

 

Ifugao posts highest Covid cases in a day

By Marcelo B. Lihgawon

LAMUT, Ifugao - - The province of Ifugao recorded March 22 the highest number of new confirmed cases in a day since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

     The Provincial Health Office reported total of 51new positive cases were recorded on March 22 in municipalities Alfonso Lista with 10; Asipulo,  2; Banaue ,4; Kiangan, 1;  Hingyon, 16; Lagawe, 1; Lamut ,16 and Tinoc, 1.

    As of March 22, PHO data showed Ifugao had 551 confirmed cases with 424 recovered 126 active cases and one death.       A total of 730 possible cases are also on quarantine in the different municipalities.

    Contract tracing and other anti-Covid activities are on to prevent spread or local transmission of the virus in the community. 

    With the sudden surge of cases in the past days, the health and local officials  urged the public to adhere to  minimum public health  standards  such as wearing  face masks and washing hands.

    Local officials told incoming residents to coordinate with municipal health offices three days before travel for proper coordination and management particularly those who cannot afford RT-PCR test.

    Travelers/incoming residents from places identified by the National Inter-agency Task Force as hot areas are required to present a current negative RT-PCR test prior to travel and entry in the province.

    Meanwhile, LGUs  in the province are  rolling  out Covid-19 vaccination  initially for  health personnel and other frontliners.  -- PIA Ifugao

225 Ilocos Sur workers get Covid; gov orders ‘shielding’

By Leilanie Adriano  

LAOAG CITY – Residents of Ilocos Sur are restricted to go outside the province except for essential and emergency travels only, said Gov. Ryan Luis Singson in his latest Executive Order No. 24 issued on Tuesday afternoon.
    Singson said "emergency shielding" in Ilocos Sur is aimed at curbing the fresh spike of Covid-19 in the province, affecting a total of 225 government workers who initially tested positive last Monday.

"The same number had to be isolated for RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), thus services were compromised,” the governor added.

The order took effect March 24 up to April 6 unless it will be lifted sooner.

During this period, tourists will not be allowed to enter the province. Mass gatherings or up to a maximum of 30 percent of the venue capacity is allowed while adhering to minimum health and safety protocols such as wearing of face mask, face shield and strict social distancing.

All residents coming from Metro Manila and its nearby provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal and all other high-risk areas shall not be allowed in Ilocos Sur except for essential travels.

As of this posting, all local government units of Ilocos Sur have been directed to implement mass testing in all its populated areas to contain the virus.

Based on Covid-19 data, the province’s 15 municipalities covering 40 barangays are under crucial zones for having Covid-19 positive cases with minimum contact of 15-20 individuals for each patient.

As of March 23, Ilocos Sur logged a total of 444 confirmed cases with 380 recoveries and four deaths. -- PNA 

 
7 Bambang workers get Covid;  hospital vital room closed

AMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya-- The emergency room of the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital here was temporarily closed Monday after seven health care workers tested positive for Covid-19.

    The provincial health office posted one case from Bambang, two from Dupax del Sur and four from Aritao.
    Rural health units and stations were advised to refer their patients to other hospitals during the lockdown.

    Aside from the Nueva Vizcaya hospital, the legislative building of Quirino province as well as the Quirino Province Medical Center were also closed temporarily after some of their personnel tested positive for Covid-19.

Nueva Vizcaya offices closed due to Covid-19

By Benjamin Moses M. Ebreo

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Gov. Carlos Padilla has ordered the closure of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and  nearby offices after a worker was found positive of Covid-19.Padilla said the closure of the PSWDO, Provincial Population Division and Persons with Disability Affairs Division (PDAD) within the provincial capitol compound was in effect until the weekend.
"    We have requested a home quarantine protocol for our staff including the PPD and PDAD while waiting for the result of Covid-19 test of one of our workers," she said.

    Provincial Health Officer Dr. Edwin Galapon appealed to Novo Vizcayanos to continue in following the minimum health protocols such as social distancing, wearing of face mask and regular disinfection or hand washing.

    He urged quarantined persons to strictly follow the restrictions including their families to avoid the spread of Covid-19. -- PIA Nueva Vizcaya

122 Covid patients rushed to Cagayan Valley hospital

By Raymund Catindig

TUGUEGARAO CITY — Health personnel at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in this city are having difficulty accommodating the 122 Covid-19 patients who were brought to the hospital on March 20.
    Of the 122 patients brought to the CVMC on March 20, some  93 were confirmed cases.

    Of the figure, 63 came from Cagayan, 24 from Isabela, two each from Kalinga and Apayao, and one from Tarlac.

    All were still waiting to be admitted as of Monday evening.

    CVMC chief Glenn Mathew Baggao said the hospital’s 135-bed capacity Covid ward has been overwhelmed since March 18.

    The hospital received at least 100 patients the night before, he said.

    Baggao appealed to health regional director Rio Magpantay to check private hospitals that allegedly refused to accept Covid-19 patients.

    He said he was compelled to put in a room more than one Covid-19 patients who were from the same family.

    Baggao said the hospital could not put up tents to augment their Covid ward as these do not have toilets and other facilities needed for the patients.

    Meanwhile, 103 officers and personnel of the Central Luzon police tested positive for Covid on March 20.

    Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, Central Luzon police director, said the infected officers were put on quarantine and monitoring.

    De Leon ordered all offices and police stations in the region sanitized regularly to prevent the spread of the virus. – Ramon Efren Lazaro, Ric Sapnu

NE gov gets Covid; 20 Cagayan, Isabela journalists quarantined

NUEVA ECIJA Gov. Aurelio Umali confirmed in a post on Facebook that he contracted the virus, citing the result of his swab test, which was released on Monday. Umali said he is on home quarantine.
    This, as around 20 journalists in Cagayan and Isabela, are on quarantine after their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19 Monday.
    Authorities bared this even as the mayor here of Alicia, Isabela is pushing the town to be placed under general community quarantine.

    Mayor Joel Alejandro said the number of Covid-19 cases in their town surged, with two deaths recorded the past week.

    Alejandro said 22 of the new cases are stall owners or vendors at the public market.

    He said a spike in cases was also recorded in 11 barangays, which were placed under calibrated lockdown.

    Alicia had 38 active cases as of Monday.