BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – – The Department of Health – Cordillera reports that the current surge in new COVID – 19 cases has elevated the region to the high risk epidemic risk level with a 2–week Growth Rate of 2,348 percent and an Average Daily Attack Rate of 6.33 percent, as of January 10 data.
Based on the DOH – CAR Regional Epidemiology Surveillance and Statistics Unit (RESSU), recorded new cases surged to 1,616 in the past two weeks (Dec. 28, 2021 to January 10, 2022), from less than a hundred cases for the period December 14 – 27, 2021, bringing the region to the high epidemic risk level.
The DOH– CAR RESSU said the sudden hike in cases also spiked Cordillera’s ADAR from 0.91 (low epidemic risk last January 4) to 6.3 percent (moderate epidemic risk).
Per geographical area, Baguio City is now under critical epidemic risk with both 2WGR and ADAR on high level while Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province are all under high risk with each province posting high 2WGR and moderate ADAR, as of January 10 data.
Cordillera though remains under low risk in terms of Health System Care, Intensive Care Unit and Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility with an average utilization rate of 40%, 33% and 12.21%, respectively.
DOH – CAR RESSSU Senior Health Program Officer Karen Lonogan said all areas in Cordillera showed an increase in cases which is mostly due to the easing of mobility during the holiday season.
Lonogan also reported that clustering of cases are monitored from workplaces especially in hospitals and restaurants and on establishments mostly related to travels and family gatherings.
To help curb the further spread of infections, she stressed the need for local government units to calibrate and re-calibrate their contingency plans especially in intensifying border control, heightening alert for case increase and clusters through active case finding and tracing of returning overseas Filipinos, strengthening of health referral system and assuring adequate health system capacity.
The LGUs must also strengthen their PDITR (Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate) strategies and vaccination program primarily to protect the vulnerable sectors and the health care workers, she added. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
