BAGUIO CITY – The City Health Services Office (CHSO) reported that Baguio has recorded 125 COVID‑19 cases as of Aug. 17, with 120 patients having recovered and five active cases, all classified as mild.
The update was presented during the Baguio City Council’s regular session, where representatives from the CHSO, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), and the Department of Health (DOH) were invited to brief officials on the city’s COVID‑19 situation.
CHSO Head Celia Brillantes and City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) head Donnabel Panes said most of the city’s cases were mild, noting that the majority of patients had been vaccinated.
Panes added that 99 percent of recovered patients were vaccinated, underscoring the role of vaccination in preventing severe illness.
A significant number of cases were recorded among health workers who undergo regular testing as part of infection prevention and control measures in medical facilities, the CHSO explained.
Health officials also reported that Baguio has not recorded any case of the Cicada COVID‑19 subvariant.
Across the Cordillera Administrative Region, the DOH logged 184 COVID‑19 cases from January to August 2026.
Baguio accounted for 129 cases, followed by Benguet with 39, Mountain Province with seven, Kalinga with four, Apayao and Ifugao with two each, and Abra with one.
While Baguio’s cases have generally been mild, officials urged the public to remain cautious, especially when interacting with senior citizens, children, pregnant women, and individuals with comorbidities.
They pointed to the city’s vaccination data as evidence of the protection vaccines provide against severe COVID‑19 outcomes. (Zaldy Comanda)
