ILOILO City – Gatherings and community celebrations contributed to the increase in new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city, which registered 331 local infections and 10 deaths in January.
Alarmed, Mayor Jerry Treñas prohibited such activities for one week beginning yesterday.
Jeck Conlu of the city government’s COVID Team cited the assessment of contact tracers which showed most of the metro’s recent cases were detected from public gatherings like seminars and trainings where physical distancing proved difficult to observe.
“Nagta-as ang aton cases tungod ini siya sa nagkalatabo nga mga mass gatherings,” Conlu said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, focal person of the City Health Office, said they logged a total of 331 COVID-19 cases in January, topping the total for December at 279.
“Ang mga meetings gid ang tam-an ka delikado kay kon gakaon kita naga-uba sang facemask, plus ma-istoryahanay sa upod,” Fortuna explained.
Treñas is expected to issue an executive order today detailing the dos and don’ts in mass gathering.
Among those events he cancelled this week include payouts for the beneficiaries of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, some sports events and other scheduled private and government-initiated events.
Since the recording started in March last year, the city logged 255 active COVID-19 cases out of the total 5,020 infections.
At 25, Barangay Quintin Salas in Jaro district had the most number of active cases, followed by Balabago with 19. Both villages tallied the infections for two days only.
Here are the barangays with the most number of COVID-19 cases in the city:
* Quintin Salas, Jaro – 25
* Balabago, Jaro – 19
* Tabuc, Suba, Jaro – 16
* Veterans Village, City Proper – 14
* Jereos, La Paz – 11
* Calumpang, Molo – 10
* Simon Ledesma, Jaro – 9
* Cubay, Jaro – 8
* Pali Benedicto, Mandurriao – 7
* Q. Abeto, Mandurriao – 7
* M.H. del Pilar, Jaro – 6
* North Fundidor, Molo – 6
* Sta. Cruz, Arevalo – 6
* Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo – 6./PN