Covid-related deaths in Baguio City dives down

June 26, 2021 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (June 26, 2021) – Coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-related deaths had gone down in the past weeks since Baguio City started heightening its efforts in vaccinating the most vulnerable population.
Basing it on the data from the City Health Services Office headed by Dr. Rowena Galpo showed the city only had 13 deaths from June 1 to June 22 which is a far cry from the previous record of 2-3 deaths a day.
Earlier, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered the fast-tracking of vaccination of residents aged 65 years and above, the most susceptible age group as a means of preventing more deaths.
Through the help of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and the district health centers, the priority residents were located and convinced to take the shots. The city also continues to conduct its mobile vaccination operations to reach immobile patients even as it maintains a vaccination fast lane for those with ailments like cancer and kidney diseases.
According to Magalong, apart from seeking early consultation, vaccination is one way to curb the high incidence of death among COVID-19 patients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) said all Covid-19 vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) can prevent hospitalization and death.
Galpo said the city’s fatality rate has decreased to 2.04 percent with only three deaths from June 2 to 9. Last May 10, the city recorded its highest fatality rate at 2.09 percent with 247 deaths out of 11,814 cases.
Meanwhile, ninety eight trainees at the Philippine Public Safety College of the Police Training Institute, Cordillera Administrative Regional Training Center (CARTC) at Teacher’s Camp here have contracted the virus.
Though training head Lt. Col. Miguel de Guzman maintained no negligence on their part while insisting they have been practicing due diligence in observing and instituting safety and health protocols at the police training center.
Earlier on Tuesday, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong advised Guzman to immediately suspend all activities, trainings and events to give way for contact tracing, isolation and quarantine protocols of all those affected.
Magalong also advised Guzman to instruct the center’s safety officer to coordinate with the city’s contact tracing team to determine all personnel who should undergo testing, isolation and quarantine.
He also told the training head to secure the ingress and egress of the training center to ensure the containment of the virus.
“Per the recommendations of our local health authorities and joint inspection team, CARTC shall remain closed until such time that they have determined that your premises are safe for resumption of operations,” the mayor wrote Guzman.
In a memorandum addressed to the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) in Camp Vicente Lim at Calamba, Laguna, Guzman also denied allegations of neglect at the training center and said the information is malicious and has no basis at all.

“In fact in the exercise of due negligence and in accordance with the Covid 19 protocol, CARTC quarantined the students at our campus in Sto. Tomas National High School for 14 days before they are transferred here in CARTC main office for the final part of their schooling and graduation under the strict watch of our tactical PNCOs…,” Guzman stated.
He added that due to an honest mistake which was not elaborated by one of students who went to the Baguio City Triage Center for Anti-Gen testing who turned positive of the virus, they were prompted to conduct contact tracing where they found out that many of the students were infected.
Artemio A. Dumlao