Weekly Covid stat: zero to 19 cases, another death logged

September 14, 2020 Metro BLISTT

After celebrating a zero-coronavirus disease (Covid-19) day last Sept. 5, Baguio reeled to another high 19 new infections on Thursday. As restrictions started to ease up with the city’s borders expected to open to tourists from Region 1 on September 22, Baguio logged 51 new cases in a seven-day period leading to Thursday’s 19 new cases, six short of its record 25 middle last month as total confirmed cases raced beyond the 400 mark.
Baguio’s new cases is three shorts of last week but still a relatively high 7.29 new cases a day. Despite the zero infection in Sept. 5, the city logged a norm of five cases – Sept. 4, 6 and 9 – a low of four on Sept. 8 after spiking anew on Sept. 7 with 13 cases. Thursday’s stat shows also a single death, the Public Information Office – Baguio reported, a 66-year-old female who has cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy.
Total deaths stand now at 11 for this highland city which first recorded its Covid-19 case on March 23. The good news, the PIO – Baguio said, is 12 patients recovered after the 20 recoveries on Wednesday bringing the total weekly recovery to 54 or a 7.71 daily average.
Baguio’s total cases zoomed past 400 with 413 confirmed cases, more than four times since it logged its 100th case on July 28. It was a mark reached in just 45 days due to the expanded screening the city undertook, targeting highly susceptible sectors.
PIO – Baguio chief Aileen Refuerzo said most of the cases Thursday were contacts of current patients. Nine of the patients are female and 10 are male, with an average age of 36.05. The oldest at 73 – beside two other senior citizens ages 67 and 60 – and the youngest at 2.
Five of the new patients are from Gibraltar, while four are from the neighboring village of Saint Joseph, the PIO – Baguio added. The past three weeks saw a 142 rise in new cases against recoveries of 163 or a 6.76:7.76 ratio.
On Sept. 5, Baguio celebrated as it was a zero Covid-19 case day. Mayor Benjamin Magalong and City Health Officer Dr. Rowena welcomed the development because, the PIO reported, “it has been a long time since the city had no positive case in a day.”
Magalong, however, cautioned Baguio residents and reminded them “not to be complacent and instead be receptive to adopting the established health and safety protocols as a new way of life.”
He said: “Please observe even if no one is looking, even if there is no police authorities present to remind you. This our new normal and we have to embrace it so we can learn to live with the virus and move on with our lives.”
Refuerzo said that there were 99 tests done on said day.
The next day, five new cases were reported, however, as Magalong assured the public “that the city’s anti-Covid-19 systems on prevention, detection, control and treatment will continue to be in place and will be adjusted or improved as needed.”
The city logged 13 new cases the following day, Sept. 7, a grim reminder that the virus is just as contagious. In Benguet, there are 21 active cases from the 208 confirmed cases, the Department of Health – Cordillera tracker showed.
The province has logged a single death with 186 recoveries. Kalinga has the third most confirmed cases with 149, of these 136 have recovered and 13 remain active.
Abra, which reported the other death in the region, has three active cases of the 61 reported, while Apayao has zero active case from the reported 28 confirmed cases. Ifugao has four active cases from a total of 25, while Mountain Province has three active cases from the 16 it reported.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN