One shot glass spread COVID-19 among drinking buddies in Baguio City

Baguio City has recorded 43 additional cases of COVID-19 as several residents shared a solitary shot glass during a social gathering, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said.

According to Darlene Cay’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, Magalong said most of the cases were from the Barangays Ferdinand and Sto. Niño. The two barangays were already placed on lockdown 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.

Aside from the two barangays, some of the cases were also from a business process outsourcing company in the city.

Magalong said the city government is looking at drinking and social gathering as the cause of the sudden outbreak of the virus.

As of September 21, COVID-19 cases in Baguio increased to 579 including 191 active, 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.

The new spike in cases happened two days before Baguio and four provinces of the Ilocos Region were set to inaugurate a travel "bubble." The bubble is set to open on Tuesday, September 22.

The bubble opens low-risk tourism spots exclusive to residents of the city and nearby provinces.

Baguio has also launched a digital travel and surveillance system that will screen all tourists and link them to travel agents who will then monitor them while they are in the city.—Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News