BAGUIO CITY – For the first time since the Omicron variant surge in January, there was no Covid-19 case recorded here on Friday, March 11, 2022.
“This is a welcome news and especially that the city's cases have been on the decline in the last 6 weeks, but let us not be complacent and still maintain the minimum health standard, because the virus has not completely disappeared,” said Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
The last time the city had no new case was on Dec. 26, 2021.
However, Magalong said Covid cases in the city are expected to slightly increase in the next few days due to increased mobility brought about by eased quarantine requirements and entry protocols.
He said they were hoping that 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 added.
And in case of a surge, management systems remain in place, and with the city's experience and successful handling of the Delta and Omicron waves, the country's summer capital 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.
He said the city’s daily number of tourist arrivals was placed within the range of 8,000 to 9,000 which was substantial and indicative that tourism has started to pick up since the city’s alert level status was lowered this month.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rowena Galpo, head of the City Health Service Office, said the city has an ample supply of 78,549 Covid vaccines as of March 7.
Of the total, Astrazeneca accounted for 30,190 of the vaccines; Pfizer, 30,624; Moderna, 8,650; Sinovac, 6,319; and Gamaleya with 1,766 remaining vaccines.