COVID-19 situation improving, Cordillera cases on the downtrend

May 24, 2021 Provincial

Baguio and Kalinga, two of the hardest hit local government units in the Cordillera region, has seen a downtrend in Covid-19 infections starting this month, health officials from the two localities reported this week.
Baguio City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said that although the city’s epidemic risk level remained at moderate risk as of May 10, the city has seen improvements as shown by two indicators: the average daily attack rate (ADAR) or the proportion of population that contracts the disease in a specified time and the two-week growth rate (TWGR) which captures how quickly the number of cases is changing every two weeks.
The city’s ADAR for May 3-10 decreased from 15 percent to 14.5 percent while its TWGR also dropped to -40 percent, Galpo noted as Mayor Benjamin Magalong urged the public to continue adhering to the minimum public health standards to sustain the downtrend.
Magalong urged Baguio people to use surgical or better quality face masks to be protected from the virus including the more transmissible variants As of May 19, Baguio has logged 1,236 Covid cases for the month, a 41 percent drop from the 2,099 reported during the same period or about 65 new cases daily, compared to 111 daily occurrence on the same period last month.
The city has also reported an increase in recoveries daily with about 77 patients per day or 1,456 compared to the 57 daily recovery from the same period last month.
Baguio has 762 active cases compared to a high of 1,460 last month. Total recovery now stand at 10,770 compared to the total confirmed cases of 11,777.
In Kalinga, only one of the eight municipalities and lone city are categorized as high risk, the Provincial Health Office reported. As of May 17, the PHO reported that only Lubuagan remains under high risk; Tabuk City, Pasil, Tanudan are at moderate risk level; Balbalan, Pinukpuk, and Rizal are categorized as low risk; while Tinglayan is categorized as minimal risk.
PHO head Edward Tandingan said there are now more recoveries than new infections, and bed occupancy rate across all hospitals, infirmaries, and isolation units is in the ‘green’ or at low-risk of being overwhelmed.
As of May 17, Kalinga recorded a high ADAR of 12.3% but a low two-week growth rate of – 13.4%.
PHO records showed Kalinga has logged a total of 4,463 COVID-19 cases with 3,935 recoveries, 469 active cases, and 59 deaths. Kalinga is third hardest hit LGU in the region.
The Department of Health – Cordillera meanwhile reported a “measly” 130 new cases Wednesday, with Mountain Province and Ifugao having the lowest at one and two cases, down from the three digit daily cases last month. Ifugao even logged a single day high 200 cases last month.
DoH – Cordillera record shows 34,652 total cases in the Cordillera of which Baguio accounting to about a third of the number at 11,855. Benguet remains the second hardest LGU with 8,368 cases, followed by Kalinga and Mountain Province at 4,426 and 4,402, respectively.
Ifugao, which is still under a modified enhanced community quarantine status has 3,387 and fifth most in the region, while Apayao and Abra, which have 14 and 15 new cases Wednesday, respectively, have the lowest with 1,047 and 627 confirmed cases.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN