More sub-villages here are on community lockdown with the rise of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections.

On Monday, three new Covid-19 cases were added — husband and wife who are employees of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, and their child.

Another Laoag City hall employee and a female market vendor were also recently confirmed positive of Covid-19, bringing the total active cases to 54 as of this posting.

Of the 54, most of them are Laoag residents who were exposed to a previous infected person.

The city government of Laoag advised concerned individuals who went to the Laoag supermarket on November 16-23 to stay home and coordinate with the City Health Office should they experience any symptoms of Covid-19 such as fever, cough, colds, body aches and loss of smell.

The City Health Office hotline numbers are: 0939-5544123, 0951-0600400, (077)604-5956, and (077)772-0289.

Some city hall employees who have had close contact with IN-C200 were also advised to isolate for the meantime while expanded contact tracing efforts are ongoing.

“May we encourage everyone to stay home and follow all the minimum health protocols being implemented by the government while contact tracing is ongoing,” Mayor Michael Keon said on Tuesday.

On Nov. 21, Keon declared a community lockdown in Barangay 4; sitio Dungtal, sitio Saruked and sitio Baldias in Barangay 23; sitio 1 and 2 in Barangay 13; and portions of sitio 2 (along A.P. Santos Street from Rizal Street to A.G. Tupaz Street) and portion of sitio 4A (along A.P. Santos Street to Gomburza Street, both at Barangay 3 Nuestra Señora del Rosario. Certain areas of Sitio 5 in Barangay 49-B Raraburan is also on lockdown owing to a provincial government employee that was earlier confirmed positive for Covid-19.

To date, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte remains on skeletal workforce. The scheduled regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan every Monday was rescheduled on Friday. (PNA)