Cordillera Covid count: 25,048 cases, 379 deaths

51 fatalities, 758 cases in Mt Prov 

By Gina Dizon

THE CORDILLERA now has a total of 25,048 Covid-19 cases, 3,870 of them active, 20973 recoveries and 379 deaths as of April 14, Dept. of Health records bared.
    Mountain Province as of April 13, had 51 Covid-affected deaths and 758 active Covid cases.
    The tourist town of Sagada had the highest active cases at 180 with eight deaths, followed by the vegetable town of Bauko with 174 active cases and seven Covid-19 affected deaths.
    The capital town of Bontoc previously highest among towns with active Covid cases came in third with 90 cases, 1399 recoveries and 22 deaths.
    Far Sadanga which did not impose community lockdowns or require travel documents registered five deaths, 67 active cases and 90 recoveries.       
    Sabangan with most of its barangays located along the Bontoc- Baguio road noted gradual increase of Covid cases with 83 cases to date with five Covid- affected deaths.
    Heavily populated Paracelis the gateway to nearby bustling city of Santiago, Isabela manages   to have only 16 Covid cases, 90 recoveries and two deaths.
    Barlig which previously registered low Covid cases suddenly surged following IATF Res 101 now as of presstime with 16 active cases, one death and 43 recoveries.
    But the eastern municipality of Natonin managed to have only two active cases recently.
    The rest of Mountain Province towns had drastic increase Coviud-19 cases cases since the implementation of Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) resolution 01 with eased travel restrictions.  
    Recent records from the Provincial Health Office revealed increase of 8 active cases in Natonin as of April 13 with no deaths and  22 total recoveries with the rest of the 10 towns of the province having registered increasing active cases.
    This, as travel in Natonin to Bontoc was reduced to only once to twice a week with six to 10 passengers only.     
Natonin Mayor  Jose Agagon attributed low number of Covid cases in this municipality to discipline and Covid awareness among the people including barangay coordination.
     “People are scared of the Covid virus and don’t travel except on very necessary purposes,” Agagon said.
    Though there are those who don’t follow health protocols, people observe basic rules in Covid prevention like using masks and social distancing including education sessions done by health personnel, police and local IATF in 11 barangays of Natonin.
    Recently, vaccination awareness campaigns were done in barangays with gradual acceptance of people in vaccination against the Covid virus.
    Travelers have to coordinate with barangay officers also before they arrive in Natonin. They have to undergo swab tests or get isolated.
    Natonin practices lockdown and has been swabbing primary and secondary contacts since midyear of 2020.  
    Natonin registered its first positive case in July last year from an asymptomatic kailyan-Overseas Filipino Worker from Saudi Arabia.
    Local rules require business traders allowed to go out from the municipality and back to  Natonin on same day without stopover in  nearby Paracelis. Rapid diagnostic tests are applied on traders before exit and only allowed exit and entry when negative.
    Agagon said Natonin is sandwiched by low Covid towns Paracelis with 16 active cases and  Barlig with16 active cases as of April 13.
    The rest of the nine towns of Mountain Province have daily travels to the capital town of Bontoc following  IATF  resolution No. 101.
    From the recent national IATF resolution 101, travel has eased with no quarantines or mandatory tests resulting to the spiking of Covid cases in Mountain Province.
    Uniform IATF-DOH protocols  require wearing of masks, social distancing, ,avoidance of crowds, frequent washing of hands , and boosting of  immune system; including  ‘stay at home’ protocols  for 15 years old and below and 60 years old and above, those with co morbidities and immunodeficiencies  and pregnant women.