AMONG the provinces surrounding the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila), Bulacan has posted the lowest rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection and highest recovery rate of 96 percent and zero deaths in the last months.
Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando recently said the self-discipline practiced by residents provided them the best shield against the deadly virus.
He reiterated the importance of strict implementation of health and safety protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) resolutions on his official Facebook page.
The governor said even with its lowest rate of infection and highest recovery rate, Bulacan was still at war with Covid-19, citing tightened checkpoint security at borders of the province.
Fernando has ordered the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, headed by Col. Lawrence Cajipe, to double police visibility and strictly implement the IATF-EID health and safety protocols in all public places.
Surveillance updates as 4 p.m. of Jan. 20, 2021 showed that out of 11,201 Covid-19 cases in Bulacan, 10,090 or 90 percent have recovered, 703 or 6 percent are active cases and 408 or 4 percent have died.
Also, 52 new laboratory results were added to the total number of reported verified cases by the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DoH) has reclassified the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) as a high-risk area after a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases was noted in different parts of the region over the past two weeks.
A DoH report recorded a two-week growth rate of 199 percent and an average daily attack rate per 100,000 population of 8.32.
The provinces of Kalinga and Mountain Province, which were previously classified as low-risk areas, were elevated to critical risk because of a recent increase in the number of cases there over the past two weeks.
Baguio and Benguet remained high-risk areas while Ifugao and Apayao, which were also previously classified as low risk, were also elevated to the high-risk category also because of a spike in cases over the same period.
Abra, which was also previously listed as low risk, has also been elevated to the moderate-risk level because of a slight increase in the number of cases also over the past two weeks.
Health authorities said the Christmas holidays had contributed to the spike in cases.
As of Jan. 21, 2020, Covid-19 cases in CAR reached 10,582 with 140 reported deaths.