ON November 17, Baguio joined the dreaded 700 Club, meaning the city has now 700 COVID-19 related deaths since March 2020.
This could be a depressing statistic, but that means that more than halfway through November, the city has only logged 35 deaths.
It means that Baguio has finally stopped the second deadly surge this year.
October 1, 2021 was the deadliest for the city with 171 deaths. Last September, deaths totaled 136.
Health authorities said that the recent surge was caused by the proliferation of the Delta variant in the city.
The first surge was from April to May 2021 when COVID-related deaths reached 23 and 85, respectively. The first surge was driven by the Alpha variant.
But now the Delta variant is the most prevalent in the city.
In the latest bio-surveillance report of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) dated Nov. 7, 18 new results were added, and all were Delta variant cases.
This brought to 124 the total detected Delta cases, outnumbering Alpha and Beta with 116 and 52, respectively.
All in all, the city has 292 VOCs detected as of November 7.
Dr. Rowena Galpo, Baguio City Health officer, said the specimens of the 18 newly detected cases were collected from October 15 to October 18, and all of the patients have already recovered.
Baguio is also set to breach the 30,000 mark of total COVID cases this month.
As of November 18, the total cases had reached 29,821. On November 1, the total cases were 29,327, or an average of only 27.4 cases a day this month.
Health workers have jabbed 180 fellow workers, 2,623 adults and 410 adolescents on Thursday, November 18 in available vaccination sites.
Thus, vaccinated adults in the city near the 281,000 target; with 260,642 (92.52%) first-dose and 216,548 (77.17%) fully vaccinated as of November 18.
There are 42,811 eligible 12 to 17 years olds in the city, with 21,418 (48.87%) first-doses since Nov.3.
The second dose shall be administered this December, hopefully starting on the planned three-day national vaccination session.
Booster shots for healthcare workers were given, with 1,230 and 180 on the first two days, a total of 1,410.
Calls are being issued for the unvaccinated and unconvinced to re-think their options, as vaccines of their choice are available, in all sites. There is no need to show any stub and registration online is done with bakuna.baguio.gov.ph.
The vaccination schedule can be seen at the Public information office and Baguio City Health Services Office Facebook pages, with additional requirements for the adolescent population posted.
Requirements for pediatric vaccination (Ages 12 to 17) include the following:
- Register at bakuna.baguio.gov.ph and screenshot your QR Code or Reference Number
- Valid ID or Barangay Certificate of Residency (valid for 6 months) and documents like the birth certificate of the parent/guardian and vaccine recipient to verify filiation or relationship.
- Parent/guardian to sign the Consent Form onsite
- Vaccine recipient to sign the Assent Form onsite.
- Medical Certificate – only if with comorbidity. – with reports from Julie Fianza and Gaby Keith