Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong reported 82 percent of its 43 additional cases of COVID-19 were drinking buddies who shared one shot glass during a social gathering.
Magalong said in an interview on 24 Oras on Monday that the majority of the cases were from Barangays Sto. Niño and Ferdinand. The two villages were already placed under quarantine since Sunday.
“Kahapon mayroon kaming 43 cases. Pero that was the result of contact tracing, 82% of that was the result of contact tracing dahil nagkaroon ho ng inuman sa isang barangay, kainan tapos iisang baso lang ang ginamit sa inuman so ito po ‘yong ang laki po ng implication, dumami po ang na-infect sa barangay na ‘yon,” Magalong said.
(Yesterday, we had 43 cases. But that was the result of contact tracing, 82% of that was the result of contact tracing because there was a drinking session in a barangay, a banquet, and then only one glass was used in the drinking. There was an increase in infections in that barangay.)
Aside from the two villages, some of the new cases were also from a business process outsourcing company in the city.
Drinking buddies in Baguio infected after using one shot glass
Magalong said the Baguio city government is looking at drinking and social gathering as the cause of the sudden increase of cases.
As of September 21, Baguio recorded 579 cases of COVID-19 with 191 active cases, 12 deaths, and 176 recoveries.
“We are getting this number because we have enhanced our contact tracing. Yesterday, 2/3 of our cases are due to contact tracing at sila ‘yong mga in a household or in a certain workplace. May mga behavior kaming nakita kagaya ng sa inuman, may mga gathering,” Baguio City epidemiology and surveillance unit head Dr. Donnabel Panes said.
Baguio logged the new surge in cases two days before it re-opened to tourists alongside four provinces of the Ilocos Region, which were part of the travel “bubble.” The region 1 area and Baguio is set to open today, September 22.
The local government of Baguio also launched a digital travel and surveillance system that will screen and monitor all tourists while they are in the city.