Baguio City reports 'plateauing' of COVID-19 cases, downward trend expected in February -Magalong

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Friday said they are now seeing a "plateauing" of COVID-19 cases in the city and expect a downward trend in February.

"Sa ngayon ang active cases namin nandito na sa 3,022. Umabot siya ng almost 4,900, pero pababa na rin siya," Magalong said at the Laging Handa briefing.

(Currently our active cases is at 3,022. It almost reached 4,900, but it is already on the decline.)

"Starting this week, nagkaroon na kami ng plateauing and based on our forecast, siguro mga two weeks na plateauing and after that, by second week of February, we will be realizing a downtrend sa ating mga kaso," he added.

(Starting this week, we already had plateauing and based on our forecast, maybe there will be two weeks of plateauing and after that, by the second week of February, we will be realizing a downtrend in our cases.)

Magalong said there were three peaks that occurred in the city amid the COVID-19 surge.

The first was on December 28, when COVID-19 cases started to rise. Another was on January 3 when the highest peak was recorded.

Another peak was last seen on January 15.

"Pero pababa pa rin, generally pababa pa rin 'yung aming trend (generally our trend was downward)," he said.

Magalong said there was a time when their seven-day moving average of daily cases was at 557. Currently, it is at 421.

From 1,800 COVID-19 tests on average per day, it was lowered to 800 tests per day.

Baguio City already has a 122% vaccination rate for those who received their first dose, and around 110% who had their second dose, Magalong reported. The eligible population is at 70%.

Around 72,000 Baguio City residents have received their booster shots.

Magalong said the city's hospital bed utilization, as well as their isolation facilities, are "very manageable."

However, they have many COVID patients that came from Region 1, Region 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Magalong said he preferred that Baguio City stays under Alert Level 3.

"Opening our economy and tourism industry and at the same time madali 'yung paghihigpit. Very comfortable ako sa Alert Level 3," he said.

(Implementing restrictions is easy. I am very comfortable with Alert Level 3.)—AOL, GMA News