Bulacan, Pampanga COVID-19 cases rise

MANILA, Philippines – Three cities and nine towns in Bulacan have registered 46 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The provincial health office reported on Friday that San Jose del Monte City logged 18 cases; Marilao, eight; Meycauayan City, Malolos City, Sta. Maria and Bocaue, three each; Calumpit and Balagtas, two each, and Guiguinto, Plaridel, Hagonoy and Bulakan, one each.

The youngest patient is a nine-year-old girl from Marilao while the oldest is a 92-year-old woman from San Jose del Monte.

A 70-year-old man, also from San Jose del Monte, is the latest fatality. There are now 809 COVID-19 cases in Bulacan.

A total of 488 are active cases, with 280 recoveries and 41 deaths.

The number of confirmed cases in Pampanga also increased, with 22 added on Friday.

Seven were recorded in San Fernando City, five in Minalin, four in San Luis, three in Mexico, two in Angeles City and one in Mabalacat City.

San Luis Mayor Jay Sagum placed Barangays Sto. Tomas and San Carlos on lockdown yesterday after 18 construction workers tested positive for the virus.

Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. ordered the shutdown of Casino Filipino Angeles on Friday after three workers were infected.

2 BFP personnel die

Meanwhile, two Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel in Central Visayas died of COVID-19, Senior Superintendent Jose Edgar Balita, BFP health service director, reported yesterday.

Balita said one of the fatalities has a rank of inspector.

A total of 190 BFP personnel were infected.

Balita said many of those who contracted the virus are assigned in Metro Manila and Central Visayas.

In Cagayan, a government construction site in Barangay Minanga Sur in Iguig was placed on lockdown after another worker tested positive for the virus.

Capt. Jeffrey Canay, town police chief, said the patient is the ninth construction worker infected with the virus. The first patient is a project consultant who arrived from Taytay, Rizal on June 25.

In Pangasinan, two more cases were recorded in Sual and Manaoag towns.

The number of confirmed cases in the province is now 136. Twenty-eight remain confined in hospitals while 99 have recovered. Emmanuel Tupas, Raymund Catindig, Eva Visperas, Ric Sapnu