BAGUIO City is coping with the surge in Covid-19 infections and the depleting number of beds at isolation facilities.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said despite the spread of infections caused by irresponsible residents, the city will not hold individuals liable. Instead, individuals will be reprimanded to teach them, especially those in the meat industry, to follow health protocols.
“We are losing beds, but we are capable of putting up more beds to cope up with daily cases as of today,” Magalong said.
The mayor said by the end of October, there will be 300 beds ready at the Sto. Niño isolation center and over 40 additional beds at another building at Teacher’s Camp. Parkway Diagnostic Center at Bakakeng Norte can also provide 28 beds.
“Disiplina muna. Let us be very considerate in our behavior so we will not impact the lives of other people... look at what happened to Slaughter Compound, thousands of people were impacted,” Magalong said.
Police and the Public Order and Safety Division are now ordered to accost those who violate minimum health standards and bring them to the Athletic Bowl to undergo a two-hour lecture on health protocols.
Clustering of cases was noted at the city’s meat butcher community at the Slaughterhouse Compound, with at least 60 butchers infected. This forced authorities to temporarily close the area.
The city has distributed 2,000 face shields in Slaughter and doing the same thing in different barangays, including Lourdes Extension where clustering of infection has been noted involving police trainees.
On Sunday, October 5, close to 600 active cases have been logged, with cases of infection among police and clustering of infections confirmed by health experts.
An additional 32 more police trainees were confirmed infected, adding to the 83 others detected as of September 28. All are staying in barracks located at Lower Lourdes Subdivision and had been quarantined since the first case surfaced September 22.
Two fatalities were also logged over the weekend.
The first fatality was a 34–year–old female who was admitted on September 30. She was confirmed Covid-positive on October 1 and died on the same day. She had multiple illnesses including heart disease, hypothyroidism and obstructive sleep apnea.
The second fatality was a 68-year-old female admitted for cough on September 21. She was confirmed positive on September 22 and expired on October 2. The patient had hypertension and diabetes.
More cases of clustering in households were recorded, pushing Magalong to appeal to the public to stick to the health and safety protocols.
"At home, wash your hands and change your clothes before you spend time with your family. Disinfect your doorknobs and other frequently touched surfaces in the home, and monitor each other for flu-like symptoms. When outside, always wear your masks and shields properly, observe physical distancing, wash hands and disinfect regularly and avoid crowded and enclosed spaces and close conversations,” he said.
As of October 4, the city has logged 546 active cases, 16 deaths, 583 recoveries and a total of 1,1 45 Covid cases. (with a report from Baguio City Public Information Office)