The province of Iloilo recorded 189 new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Wednesday, June 9.

These fresh cases jacked up the province’s total active case count to 2,084, data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) showed.

The town of Santa Barbara accounted for the highest number of new infections at 32, followed by Sara and Janiuay with 18 each; Pototan, 14; Balasan, 12; Oton, 11; Estancia and Cabatuan, 8 each; San Dionisio, 7; Alimodian, 5; and Lambunao, 4.

Other new cases are from Passi City (3), Dumangas (3), Badiangan (3) San Miguel (3), Banate (3), Igbaras (2), Calinog (2), Tigbauan (2), Barotac Nuevo (2), San Enrique (2), Guimbal (2), Zarraga (2), Bingawan (1), Miagao (1), Maasin (1), Leganes (1), and Lemery (1).

The PHO also reported 7 new deaths, raising the number of fatalities related to COVID-19 to 223.

The fatalities are residents of Pavia (52-year-old female), Oton (33-year-old female), Banate (91-year-old female and 84-year-old female), Santa Barbara (73-year-old female), Barotac Nuevo (43-year-old male), and Balasan (57-year-old male).

Since the pandemic began in March last year, the province registered a total of 9,084 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 74.50 percent or 6,768 have recovered from the disease.

“It seems like cases are just increasing in numbers but let us not lose hope. Than is understandable because our local government units (LGUs) from provincial, municipalities and city down to the barangays continue to conduct detection measures such active cases finding, contact tracing and swab testing,” the PHO said in a statement.

“[We] hope people will cooperate so that transmission will stop. Please let us continue to pray.”IMT