Covid-19 cases in Mankayan, Benguet are increasing due to the aggressive contract tracing in the municipality which posted the highest active cases among the 13 towns of the province.
The Benguet Provincial Health Office reported that as of Dec. 3, Mankayan has 159 active cases with 32 recoveries and one death.
The lone death recorded was a 59-year-old male who died on Nov. 29 at the Lepanto Mine Hospital due to acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to Covid-19.
Mankayan recorded its highest number of positive cases in a day on Dec. 3 with 69 cases coming from the mine camps of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company.
Of the 69 cases, 38 are from Barangay Paco; 27 from Sitio Marivic, Barangay Sapid; three in Barangay Poblacion; and one in Barangay Tabio.
Most of the company employees and their families reside in barangays Paco and Sapid.
Mayor Frenzel Ayong said the high rate of positive patients was attributed to the contract tracing being conducted inside the affected mine camps.
Ayong said the index case was recorded on Nov. 10. The index case went to the hospital seeking medical attention when he tested positive using antigen and was confirmed with a swab test.
The municipal government has directed a lockdown on the camp on Nov. 20 while Ayong has directed Lepanto to restrict the movement of its workers and people within the mining camps.
Earlier, the Department of Health provided the municipality with 1,000 Covid-19 testing kits.
Benguet Gov. Melchor Diclas said the provincial government assisted the municipality with food packs that were given to Covid-19 patients and areas under lockdown.
As of Dec. 3, the province has recorded 328 active cases, 19 deaths and 1,815 recoveries from among the 2,162 total confirmed cases.
La Trinidad follows Mankayan with the highest number of cases with 94, eight deaths, and 572 total recoveries.
The earlier affected mining area in Tuba has 36 active cases, 362 recoveries and no death while Itogon has 26 active cases, four deaths, and 660 recoveries. – Ofelia C. Empian
