EIGHT persons, including an incumbent provincial board member, died last week in what was considered as the biggest upsurge yet of new confirmed active COVID-19 cases in Pangasinan, bringing the death toll of the virus so far to 42.

This, as 260 more Pangasinenses were infected while 152 other patients recovered from the highly contagious virus that raged in the province since the middle of March this year.

Board Member Jose Peralta Jr., president of the Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial Federation, succumbed last October 3, after being confined in the hospital since September 29. Diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, he suffered symptoms of cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. The 55-year old was from Balungao town, where he was mayor for three consecutive terms, vice mayor and councilor before he became a barangay captain.

The latest fatality on October 8 was a 78-year-old man from Barangay Poblacion in Mangaldan who died on October 8 after confinement in the hospital on the same day,

Two others died on October 7: a 68-year-old man from Urdaneta City confined in a hospital on September 23; and a 68-year-old woman from Mangaldan on the day she was confined.

The lone fatality on October 6 was a 70-year-old man from Malasiqui while in confinement at the hospital.

Three other persons died of COVID-19 on October 2: 36-year-old man from Sta. Barbara and was confined in a hospital on October 1; a 53-year-old man from Binmaley who was confined in the hospital since September 23; and a 66-year-old woman from Labrador who was confined in a hospital on September 22.

Meanwhile, as of October 9, the number of COVID-19 patients that recovered has already risen to 781 against 406 active patients confined in LGU isolation facilities and hospitals. This raised the total confirmed cases in Pangasinan since the pandemic started to 1,230, of which 964 came from 47 towns and cities of Pangasinan and 266 from Dagupan City.The biggest upsurge of cases was noted on October 3 in Sta. Barbara when more than 130 of the essential workers of a big manufacturing company were found positive for COVID-19 following a mass testing of its more than 500 employees.

Meanwhile, it was learned that Pangasinan was among the nine areas in the Philippines recommended by UP OCTA to be placed under stricter quarantine classification being considered as high-risk areas due to the high number of active COVID-19 cases they registered last week.

Pangasinan, including Dagupan City, are presently under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), a classification that allows most businesses to reopen with the strict observance of health protocols.

The others recommended to have stricter quarantine classification are Benguet (which includes Baguio City), Davao del Sur (including Davao City), Iloilo (including Iloilo City), Misamis Oriental (including Cagayan de Oro City), Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Samar And Zamboanga del Sur (including Zamboanga City).  (Leonardo Micua)

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