BAGUIO CITY – As the city started to reopen its doors to tourists, 29 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reported here together with 23 recoveries, and the death of two senior citizens with pre-existing illnesses, on Thursday, October 1.

City Health Service Office (CHSO) said the fatalities were a 69-year-old male from Barangay Bakakeng Central with chronic renal failure, who suffered cardiac arrest after seven days in the hospital, and a 70-year-old male from Barangay Domincan Hill-Mirador with acute myocardial infarction and hypertension, who was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Of the new cases, 22 were were contacts of previous cases, while seven had symptoms. Majority of the city's confirmed cases were asymptomatic.

Of the total cases of 847 as of September 28, 15 were classified as severe to critical, or 1.7 percent.

Meanwhile, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city was appropriating 400 kits to test market vendors.

Magalong said this ws part of the city’s aggressive efforts to curb further the spread of COVID-19.

He said the 400 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kits were part of the 3,000 test kits given by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) during the mass testing last September 17 to 19 at the Baguio Convention Center where only 2,600-kits were used.

Magalong tasked the CHSO to test select vendors stationed at the Baguio City Public Market. Evaluation of results in the area will then guide the city in what measures to take next in order to protect the buying public.

He assured the public that tests, contact tracing and containment of cases are in full swing. Immediate health interventions are extended to those yielding positive COVID-19 results, with their close contacts being faithfully monitored.