The Benguet Provincial Health Office has recorded 31 Covid-19 cases on Oct. 1, the highest recorded in the province since March.
The Benguet Provincial Information Office reported that 14 of the confirmed cases are from Sinacbat, Bakun; 11 cases are from La Trinidad; two from Itogon and one each from Tuba and Bokod.
A 56-year-old patient with co-morbidities from Betag, La Trinidad died on the same day.
Bakun Municipal Health Officer Mary Jane Tayaban said the surge in cases in the municipality can be traced to masses the patients have attended as well as to a birthday party held last month.
Tayaban said one of the Covid-19 patients from Tinoc, Ifugao, who is originally from Bakun, visited the municipality on Sept. 11 and attended a mass on Sept. 13, where some of the recently tested positive individuals were present.
These individuals had another mass on Sept. 20 then attended a birthday party after.
When the person from Tinoc tested positive, one of the direct contacts from Bakun, who is a family member, was identified and tested leading to the tracing of the other individuals who also caught the virus.
To facilitate contract tracing, the local government of Bakun has imposed a lockdown on sitios Maandap, Proper Sinacbat, Man-ani, and Tacadang of Barangay Sinacbat as well as in sitios Bilig, Aladog, and Pabileng of Barangay Bagu on Oct. 1.
Of the 14 cases, the seven patients who are symptomatic and have co-morbidities were brought to the isolation unit at the Atok District Hospital while the other seven were isolated at the quarantine facility in Sinacbat.
La Trinidad has 86 active cases, 151 recoveries and two deaths for a total of 239 cases. Two of the recorded deaths involved a 56-year-old male from Betag who suffered multi-organ failure and a 70-year-old male from Pico, who had hypertension and diabetes.
As of Oct. 1, Itogon has a total of 239 cases with seven active cases, 19 recoveries, and one death involving a 58-year-old male with co-morbidity.
Tuba now has three active cases and 18 recoveries for a total of 21 cases; Bokod has one active case and six recoveries for a total of seven cases.
Mankayan has one active case and six recoveries; Sablan has four active case and four recoveries; Kibungan has one active case and three recoveries; and Kapangan has one active case and three recoveries.
Those without active cases as of Oct. 1 are Atok with three recoveries; Tublay with six recoveries, Buguias with five recoveries, and one death involving a 75-year-old patient.
Kabayan remains Covid-free.
The temporary treatment and monitoring facility in the province is also in its full capacity while the molecular laboratory at the Benguet General Hospital compound is being prepared to operate this month. – Ofelia C. Empian
