Baguio expects slight increase in Covid cases due to rise in mobility
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the city are expected to slightly increase in the next ten days due to increased people’s mobility brought about by eased up quarantine and entry protocols.
The mayor said they are hoping the upturn will not reach or cross the baseline set for cases so as not to cause alarm and affect the city’s current alert status.
“As of now our cases are way below the threshold but we expect a slight increase in the next ten days. We are okay as long as the number does not intersect the baseline otherwise that will be a red flag,” he said.
Management systems in case of a surge however remain in place and with its experience and successful handling of the delta and omicron waves, the city is prepared for any eventuality.
“At present we are closely monitoring the mobility graph and we have seen an upward trend so it follows that the cases will also follow the trend but we can manage as long as it is within our threshold,” the mayor said.
The mayor said the city’s daily number of tourist arrivals was placed within the range of 8,000 to 9,000 which is substantial and indicative that tourism has started to pick up since the city’s alert level status was lowered this month.
City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said that for the week Feb. 27-March 5, the daily case average was 4 from the previous week’s 13.
For the same period, the case positivity rate also decreased to 2.28 percent from 3.1 percent.
The weekly infection growth rate has remained less than 1 for six weeks now which means that transmission has decreased while the average daily attack rate (ADAR) and two-week growth rate (TWGR) remained low at 2.6 per 100,000 population and -78 percent respectively.
Hospital care utilization rate slightly hiked to 26.97 percent from 21.71 percent while isolation facility bed occupancy dipped to 0.83 percent from 3.01 percent.
Galpo said the city has cut down its isolation bed capacity to only 432 from 938 with only the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit continuing to operate. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
