COVID cases in city spike, again

After months of logging single-digit and even zero COVID-19 cases, Iloilo City recorded a sudden spike in infections this week.

From June 12 to 16, 2022, the city recorded double-digit cases starting at 15 on Sunday.

According to Mayor Jerry Treñas, 10 of the 15 cases were medicine students who underwent swab tests as part of their face-to-face class requirements.

“Ten ka mga medicine students nag-positive. Pero asymptomatic sila tanan. Sa subong sige pa ang aton contact tracing,” he said during the press conference on Monday.

The double-digit rise in cases continued on Monday with 10 new cases and on Tuesday with 11 new cases.

A total of 20 cases were recorded on Wednesday, June 15, the highest since March 2022.

On Thursday, 13 new cases were added to the log.

Majority of the new positive cases were health care personnel, clinic clerks, and those who were exposed to hospitals.

Despite the spike in cases, Treñas said that it is “nothing to worry about” as contact tracing efforts are being undertaken by the city government.

He added that the city has already submitted swab samples to Manila to identify the kind of COVID-19 strain infecting the patients.

“Ginapatan-aw kon ano ang strain, wala pa kabalik, ini medyo infectious pero nothing to worry about. Most of our cases are mild,” he said in a media interview on Friday.

The city mayor also encouraged Ilonggos to have themselves vaccinated with booster shots as an additional protection against COVID-19.

“Kon waay kamo kapa-booster after four months, pa-booster na kamo second dose. We try to protect everyone but as long as we have boosters and updated booster, we only have mostly mild cases. Get yourselves boosted. Do it before ma-expire ang aton Pfizer vaccines sa July,” he noted.