Mayor Benjamin Magalong said all Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) containment systems remain in effect to contend with the spike in cases as a result of sustained aggressive contact tracing and expanded testing activities.
Cases surged in the past week due to a number of clustering incidents and the conduct of an expanded testing program which benefitted more than 2,000 individuals from the different high risk sectors.
The city’s cases hiked to 681 after the city posted 52 new ones, the city’s highest in a day, last Sept. 24. Active cases were 265; recoveries, 404 and death, 12.
The City Health Services Office under Dr. Rowena Galpo said most cases came from same households which meant that there is an ongoing active local transmission in the city.
Clustering was observed in several barangays some of which had turned into areas of concern.
A total of 52 cases had been recorded at Sto. Niño-Slaughterhouse barangay as of Sept. 24 prompting Mayor Magalong to put the area under a hard lockdown and to suspend the operation of the city abattoir for 14 days to ensure thorough disinfection and tracing of other infected persons.
Other areas of concern subjected to hard lockdowns were Lower Subd. Ext. and Ferdinand barangays. Among the barangays with clustering of cases are Lourdes Subd. (Lower), Sto. Tomas, St. Joseph Village, City Camp Central, Bakakeng Central, Hillside, Fairview and others.
Magalong assured that all the city’s virus control measures pursuant to the PDITR (Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate) strategies embodied in the National Action Plan 2 are well in place and are being adjusted as needed to address the situation.
More contact tracing teams were deployed to address the increase in cases by implementing contact tracing, disinfection, isolation, quarantine, testing and medical interventions.
There are now a total of 40 contact tracing teams with 781 members, according to the CHSO.
The mayor also appealed to residents to continue showing discipline by religiously observing the established health protocols to protect themselves and their families from the threat amid the city’s thrust to reopen the tourism industry to restore the city’s economy and livelihood of the residents.
“We will subscribe to the “hammer and dance” principle in dealing with the virus. Hammer means we will apply the necessary restrictions when cases increase and dance, we will start opening up again when the surge lets up. This is going to be our cycle as we strive to live with the virus and adapt to the new normal way of life,” the mayor said. (Aileen P. Refuerzo)
