March 29, 2024

Benguet, including Baguio City, is one of the areas recommended to be covered by the extended Luzon-wide lockdown until May 15 due to the cases of Covid-19 in these areas.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved on April 24 the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to extend the enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region, central Luzon, Calabarzon, Pangasinan, Benguet, Albay, Mindoro, and Catanduanes.

However, this may change as the IATF-EID will continuously assess the situation in these areas until April 30 to have a basis on whether to put these localities on a lockdown until May 15 or not.

Baguio has recorded 17 confirmed Covid-19 cases but 12 patients have so far recovered while Benguet has recorded five confirmed cases with three recoveries.

Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Apayao, which have no confirmed Covid-19 cases, were recommended to be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ).

A moderate quarantine status has been recommended for Abra, but is still being evaluated either for GCQ or ECQ. Abra has recorded three confirmed Covid-19 cases, but all patients have recovered.

The IATF, under the new guidelines, classified provinces and regions into high-risk, moderate-risk, and low-risk areas of spreading Covid-19.

“High-risk areas will be under ECQ until May 15, subject to further evaluation. Moderate-risk areas, meanwhile, will be under general community quarantine starting May 1, also subject to further evaluation. Low-risk areas will fall under general community quarantine starting May 1, and if there is no deterioration, GCQ will be relaxed leading to normalization starting May 16,” the Office of the President report stated.

Meanwhile, Benguet has recorded a new confirmed Covid-19 case involving a 79-year-old male. The patient’s condition is stable based on statistics released by the Department of Health-Cordillera on April 24.

The patient was first admitted in a private hospital before he was transferred to the Benguet General Hospital. The patient, who has no history of travel, is reportedly a resident of Longlong, Puguis, La Trinidad.

Health authorities are now tracing the known contacts of the patient. – Ofelia C. Empian