Zambales workers bear brunt of Covid contagion
IBA, Zambales—economic frontliners in Zambales are now getting the greatest number of infections from the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as they participate in various economic activities to earn a living during the pandemic.
Figures from the Zambales Public Health Office (PHO) indicate a total of 175 new Covid-19 positive cases recorded in the last seven days, with the highest oneday count registering at 66 on April 12. The province also registered 19 new cases on April 13, 29 on April 10, 17 on April 9, 15 on April 8, 17 on April 7 and 12 on April 6.
In the biggest one-day tally of 66 cases, the bulk of the patients were 48 call-center agents working at a private firm in the capital town of Iba, PHO data showed.
Thirty-six of these call- center employees are residents of Iba, while 15 came from the neighboring town of Botolan, and with ages ranging from 21 years old to 40 years old.
The other patients recorded in the weeklong provincial tally included nine customer assistants and client support personnel; eight maintenance staff and laborers; six professionals and businessmen; six
caregivers and medical-related personnel; five managerial staff; and two teachers.
According to Dr. Noel Bueno, head of the Zambales PHO, most of the call-center agents who tested positive did not have any history of travel outside Zambales and did not show any Covid-19 symptoms before the company had them tested on April 9 after a coworker tested positive of the disease.
He added that most of the patients are now under care at the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital in this town, while others are isolated at the Kainomayan Annex Quarantine Facility in Botolan town, as well as a public hospital in Sta. Cruz town and a private hospital in Olongapo City.
In the same seven-day period, clustering of cases was also observed in the municipalities of Castillejos, which reported 12 new positive cases on April 10, some of which involved transmission in households.
Five new cases were also reported in San Antonio town on April 10; six in Masinloc on April 9 and involving workers in a private company; and
five cases, which broke out in two separate households in Candelaria on April 9.
In the same one-week period, new positive cases outpaced recoveries. PHO data counted a total of 175 new cases from April 6 to April 13 while recoveries totaled only 132. A total of 26 recoveries were posted on April 6, 28 on April 7, three on April 8, four on April 9, 12 on April 10, four on April 12, and 55 on April 13.
T hep ho did not put out any update on Covid-19 cases on April 11, as it was overwhelmed by information on the growing number of new cases, Bueno explained in a social-media post.
In neighboring Olongapo, meanwhile, 94 new positive cases were recorded from April 7 to April 13, according to daily updates from Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr.
The Covid-19 patients in Olongapo included government health-care personnel, teachers, and workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
As of April 13, Paulino said that Olongapo has a total of 1,254 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 115 of which are active, as well as 1,085 recoveries and 54 deaths related to Covid-19.