BAGUIO CITY — Public health officials in this city have shored up steps to thwart further cases of acute gastroenteritis and began investigating the possibility of contaminated water as the root cause of people falling ill.
Acting City Health Officer Celia Flor Brillantes confirmed that her office’s Sanitation Division has already gathered water samples from the different water sources of the various food establishments concerned and are having them tested and retested for possible contaminants.
As of noon on Tuesday, the City Health Services Office (CHSO) has recorded at least 350 cases of acute gastroenteritis from Dec. 21, 2023.
Ms. Brillantes said the CHSO has also linked up with the Baguio Water District, which assured that it will conduct its own investigation and testing of water samples.
While waiting for the results of the tests, she said the establishments have been advised to refrain from serving tap and filtered water.
Customers must only be served with bottled water to ensure their safety. “We are hoping that all food establishments will cooperate to help ensure the safety of their customers and prevent more incidents,” she said. — Artemio A. Dumlao
