Cordillera’s active coronavirus cases double in less than a week

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – It was a quiet Friday in Cordillera, with no report of a new confirmed COVID-19 case from health officials.

It was the only reassuring day for the region that saw its active COVID-19 cases more than double in less than a week.

On June 12, there were only 26 active coronavirus cases in the region. Six days later, on Thursday, June 18, that number had gone up to 54.

On June 10, there were only 11 active cases Cordillera-wide – 6 of them in Baguio. 

On Friday, June 12, Baguio’s active cases were slightly up at 7. But Benguet, which had only 4 active cases on June 10, had a 11 total active cases in just two days.

As of Saturday, June 20, Abra has 5 active cases, Apayao, 6; Baguio, 7; Benguet, 25; Ifugao, 3; Kalinga, 7; and Mountain Province still one case. 

2nd death in region

Cordillera suffered its second death due to COVID-19 when a 54-year-old woman who complained of chest pains was declared dead on arrival on Thursday morning, June 18, at the Baguio General Hospital.

The woman, who was hypertensive, was swabbed and turned out to be also positive for COVID-19.

This is Cordillera’s second COVID-related death in 3  months after another woman from Baguio suffering from  tuberculosis, died last March after a trip to Manila. It took more than a month, however, for the first death to be proven as a COVID-19 case.

Because of the recent death, Lopez Jaena St in Aurora Hill has been put on  lockdown for contact tracing.

According to Dr Donnabelle Tubera-Panes, city chief epidemiologist, whether the second death was due to COVID-19  or had been only an incidental finding will always remain a question as she was immediately cremated and was not subjected to an autopsy.    

Frontliners with COVID-19

After almost a week of no positive cases in Baguio, the city recorded 3 cases on Thursday. One of them is a cop working at the nearby La Trinidad Municipal Police Station while the other one is a 30-year-old female service crew who stays in Lower Cypress, Irisan.

Police Corporal George Pumay-o, 28, agreed to be publicly identified to help in the contact tracing. He said that he is asymptomatic and his only travel was from his house in Purok 2, Poliwes barangay, and to the LTMPS.

The home barangays of the two were also put on lockdown to facilitate contact tracing.

Two other cops in La Trinidad also tested positive on Friday. Another is a student while the fourth new case is a health officer working at the municipal hall.

Because of this, the municipal hall was closed on Thursday for disinfection. – Rappler.com