THE Octa Research Group has identified Pampanga and Batangas as among the areas it sees with an upward trend in reported coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.

In a report posted last week, Octa Research fellow Dr. Guido David urged the national government for close motoring of areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus bubble.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the creation of a Covid-19 “bubble” in NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal effective March 22, 2021, as efforts to control the transmission of the infectious virus.

“We’re also seeing an upward trend sa Pampanga and Batangas and actually, mabilis ‘yung upward trend nila,” David said.

The Pampanga Provincial Government placed the number of confirmed cases at 9,266 since the start of the pandemic. From this number, some 7,636 have already recovered.

Pampanga had 1,164 active cases and 466 deaths due to the virus.

The provincial government had ordered stricter measures for the entry of visitors into the province, requiring a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antigen test taken 72 hours before arrival to stop the surge in Covid-19 cases.

In his live public address, Governor Dennis Pineda released an executive order on stricter measures for the arrival of visitors in the province.

Pineda also said from March 20 to April 5, the Pampanga police and barangay officials would set up mandatory checkpoints in their areas. Likewise, only those 18 to 60 years old are allowed to go outside their residences only for essential purposes. Pregnant women are prohibited from going outside.