TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 19 (PIA) -- A little over half the month of July, Bohol has recorded 39 COVID-19-related deaths. 

Since May 26, 2020 when Bohol recorded its first COVID-related death, Bohol now has 119 cases as of July 18, according to a report from the Bohol Inter-Agency task Force (BIATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease.

A total of 51 Boholanos died within a year from May 26, 2020 to May 26, 2021, the number of mortalities following an increasing trend, especially towards the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter in 2021.    

It would take from May 26, 2021 barely a month a half for Boholanos to now see 51 deaths doubled, which occured between July 7 to July 14, when the BIATF Executive Council adjusted the figures upon the arrival of updated data from the towns.

Last week, BIATF's records showed the jump in the COVID-19 mortality figures from 87 on July 14 to 95 deaths on July 15 when the BIATF released its 9:00 a.m. update.

On the same day, July 15, in its 3:00 p.m. post, the BIATF updated the deaths to 110.

By July 16, in its 11:00 a.m. update, the BIATF reported 116 deaths. 

BIATF strategic communications secretariat staff Reyna Deloso said the spike is due to the late reporting of cases due to the tedious validation.

"These deaths are weeks ago and not all of them happened in a day," she explained.

On July 16, at 1:00 p.m., the death toll was at 118, as health personnel and healthcare workers in the towns continued to correct the data and validate the deaths, the strategic communications group said.

By 4:00 p.m. on the same day, the total number of COVID-19 mortality cases rose to 119. 

In the same updated report, as of July 16, the towns of Alburquerque, Anda, Antequera, Batuan, Bilar, Clarin, Cortes, Dagohoy, Dimiao, Inabanga, President Carlos P. Garcia, Sierra Bullones and Sikatuna recorded no COVID-related deaths, while Tagbilaran City leads with 25 COVID-related deaths. 

Following Tagbilaran City are Ubay and Guindulman towns with 8 and Candijay town with 7 validated death cases.

The towns of Maribojoc, Calape and Talibon registered 5 COVID-related deaths since the lockdown on March 16 until July 16. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)