ILOILO City – Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection among children and teenagers here is steadily increasing, making minors a small but growing share of the city’s virus cases.
From Aug. 10 to Aug. 16, the city logged a total of 201 cases. Of these, minors (18 years old and below) made up at least seven percent (14 cases), according to Jeck Conlu, the city government’s COVID-19 team spokesperson.
“Gina tan-aw naton subong nga-a ang mga kabataan naton kadamu sang na-infect,” Conlu said.
The latest case was a one-month-old baby boy from Jaro district – the youngest COVID-19 case so far in the city and in the entire Western Visayas.
He was part of the city’s 27 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 results that the Department of Health (DOH) released on Aug. 16 to 17.
Conlu said the infant – who got infected by his COVID-positive grandmother – was confined in one of the city government’s quarantine facilities with his mother, who currently waits for her swab test results.
COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets also land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
“Amo ini ang rason nga nag-order si Mayor Jerry Treñas nga kinanglan indi anay sila magwa,” said Conlu. “Dapat tipigan ta gid ang aton mga kabataan.”
As to the elderly, Conlu said 9.45 percent (19 cases) were 60 years old and above. The oldest of them was an 82-year-old from City Proper.
Meanwhile, the top barangays having the most number of COVID-19 cases for the past week were the following:
* Calumpang, Molo – 8
* San Juan, Molo – 15
* Calaparan, Arevalo – 10
* North Baluarte, Molo – seven
* Taft North, Mandurriao – six
* Quintin Salas, Jaro – six
* Tacas, Jaro – six
* Benedicto, Jaro – five
* Bo. Obrero – Lapuz – five
* Sinikway, Lapuz – four
* Tabuc Suba, Jaro – four
* Rizal Estanzuela, City Proper – four./PN
