Baguio City hits low 4 active COVID cases

January 1, 2022 Metro BLISTT

The active Covid-19 cases is down to only four Monday from the almost 5,000 cases two months ago. This after the city logged three cases the past seven days, and 19 recovered patients on the same period and down from the 4,686 cases during the peak of the surge of the Covid- 19 Delta variant last October 4.
After confirmed cases reached 30,000 on December 14, the city logged a measly 11 new cases the past 12 days or less than a case today with a high of three and zero for at least four days. So far, 59 confirmed cases were logged since December 1, while there are 146 recovered patients this month or more than five per day.
However, on Tuesday, the total active cases more than doubled as seven new cases were confirmed by health officials here to bring the total to 11.
Moreover, the city also logged a single death in the same period, as only seven deaths were recorded this month that pushed the total since day one of the pandemic to 719. City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Dr. Donnabel Tubera in comparing the statistics on Christmas Day last year and this year saw a vast improvement that “shows the effectiveness of vaccines and the control systems being implemented by the city government and the public’s adherence to the protocols.”
Active cases on the same period last year was 340 with 24 new ones in a pre-surge period, while recoveries tallied 3,329 with 27 new on that same day.
That, compared to the six active cases, with zero new ones and recovery of four. On the same note, there were zero deaths on the same day with total at a low 57, compared to the 719 that has been logged since the city was declared under lockdown in March 17 last year to atop the spread of the virus.
The City Health Office attribute the low incidence to the vaccination effort done by the city, the best in the Cordillera and a model in the entire country.
CHO head Dr. Rowena Galpo reported that 95 percent of the city’s population has been vaxed or 281,000, while 58.44 percent of the city’s pediatric population has been given the full course of vaccine, while 72.94 of the young population have received at least a jab.
The city is targeting 42,811 young residents to be given the vax.
Galpo said that Baguio’s high vaccination rate is thanks to the best practices it employed.
First is equity, wherein health workers and senior citizens were given the priority. Second, the city clearly set at the start of the pandemic with 85 percent as the target population and later increased to 95 percent.
Then there was teamwork between government, the society and a whole of sector approach was employed. This was achieved via a reliable supply of vaccine, enough manpower as private sector volunteered to help in the vaccine drive; venues were also offered by private sector to be used as vaccine site; and, private sector donating vaccine refrigerators and generators.
Galpo also said that those wanting to be jabbed have access to vaccines. Lastly, she said that policy support like availability of IT support, the quad media campaign, the city government through the city council which provided the necessary measures in support of vaccination, the allocation of financial resources and the creation of an organizational structure on vaccination program where members have clear cut function and roles.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN