This Week in Northern Luzon (January 16 to 22, 2021)

Baguio City Jail - Male Dorm launched an intensified E-Dalaw project. Short for electronic dalaw (visit), the program allows inmates to talk to their loved ones through the internet. The program is part of the New Normal project and it also aims to help keep inmates’ relatives from making trips to the city jail and allow them to stay at home. Under E-Dalaw, inmates and their relatives can use of Zoomto contact not only relatives in the Philippines but those abroad as well. [1]

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced that Baguio City has entered a deal with AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company, to obtain vaccines for a total of 190,000 individuals. The beneficiaries represent 70% of the city’s target population for inoculation, excluding those aged 17 years and below.

The agreement was signed by the mayor and the representatives of AstraZeneca, the Department of Health, and the National Task Force on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases last January 10, 2021. Magalong mentioned that AstraZeneca planned to supply vaccines good for 50,000 people initially, but the company approved his request to increase the doses to cover 70% of the target population. He added that he is currently in talks with other pharmaceutical companies for more vaccine provisions. [2]

The Benguet State University approved the requests of the provincial and municipal inter-agency task forces for the emerging and re-emerging diseases to extend the use of its facilities for suspected COVID-19 cases in the city until the end of the year. State University President Dr. Felipe Comila said that allowing the authorities to use their facilities as quarantine and isolation centers for frontliners and COVID-19 patients is part of the university’s commitment to help the government battle COVID-19.

The university’s Gladiola Center was designated for the use of frontliners, the International Guest House at the Alumni Center was used as one of the provincial temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, and the Bektey facility was also used as a municipal isolation facility of La Trinidad. Comila also assured that the university will always be willing to extend a helping hand for the efficient and effective implementation of the government’s anti-COVID-19 response. [3]

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong wanted Baguio City to be prepared for the new strain of COVID-19 which is said to be a faster-spreading type. He added that Baguio will be focusing on improving its surge capacity by increasing the bed capacity of the isolation units by 1,000 at the end of January.

The city currently has 654 beds in its six community isolation facilities namely the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit at the Sto. Nino Medical Center, Baguio Teachers’ Camp Community Isolation Unit (Roxas Hall), Baguio Teachers’ Camp Isolation Unit (Superintendent’s Quarters and Hernandez Hall), V Dorm 1, V Dorm 3, and Ferionni Apartments. Magalong also mentioned that they will continue to executive multi-surveillance systems using different analytical tools to allow the city to access and determine its COVID-19 situation. [4]

Go to Yoorekka for more COVID-19 updates in Northern Luzon.