It has been almost 2 months since the number of active COVID-19 cases in Laguna has dropped to 4,000, the provincial health officer there said Tuesday.
According to Dr. Rene Bagamasbad, the number of newly confirmed cases recorded in the province is hovering at 200 to 300 per day.
Of the more than 4,000 active cases, 80 percent of them came from the cities of Biñan, Cabuyao, Calamba, San Pablo, San Pedro, and Santa Rosa, according to Bagamasbad.
Calmaba is said to have the highest number, with 1,700 cases.
According to the doctor, one reason why the COVID-19 cases in Calamba are high is the relaxation of quarantine restrictions.
He also said that many do not follow health protocols such as physical distancing in public places such as malls, markets, and workplaces.
Bagamasbad wants local governments to intensify the implementation of minimum health standards and search for positives in COVID-19.
“Active case finding ang inire-recommend namin sa mga bahay-bahay hanggang down sa bara-barangay,” said Bagamasbad.
Active COVID-19 cases in Laguna not decreasing
Laguna was included in “NCR Plus,” which was subjected to enhanced community quarantine at the end of March due to the surge of COVID-19 cases.
The quarantine status of NCR Plus, which also includes Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal, was later eased to general community quarantine “with heightened restrictions.”
As of March 2020, 40,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Laguna.
Meanwhile, some transactions conducted at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Region 19 office have been temporarily suspended starting this Tuesday after COVID-19 infected some agency employees.
The City Health Office did not disclose how many employees tested positive for COVID-19, but they were allegedly from the Client Support Section of the BIR.
In a statement issued by BIR XI, the operation of receiving and processing the Certificate of Registration (COR) for New Business Registrants (NBR) and the issuance of the Authority to Print (ATP) must be suspended.
The documents required for the said application can be dropped in the drop-box area outside their building.
The agency has not yet said when it will return to normal operations.
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