One COVID 19-infected person in the right setting such as a crowded establishment is all it takes to spark an outbreak in the province, the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) on Tuesday reminded the public amid reports of congestion at a mall in Tagbilaran City.

BIATF spokesperson Dr. Yul Lopez, over two weeks after the province experienced an “alarming” surge in COVID-19 cases, said that drawing large crowds could lead to another spike in virus infections which may overwhelm the island’s healthcare system.

“Kining pagsandurot sa taw less than one meter away from each other is the occasion na makasangyaw ka na kung dunay usa lang ka taw na nagtakod sa mga taw na duol niya, easily mao ni ang hinungdan na sab sa pagdaghan sa mga kaso, ug paghatag unya og paghulga sa health system sa Bohol na [dili na] makasugakod sa gidaghanon sa kaso,” he said.

Lopez’s reminder came after reports surfaced indicating that a mall in Tagbilaran City has been congested amid the holiday shopping rush, particularly as it offered discounts of up to 70 percent during a three-day sale.

The BIATF mouthpiece who is also the province’s assistant provincial health officer denounced those who have been trooping to malls at the last minute before the holidays and causing congestion.

“Atong gidasunan ang pagsaway sa publiko sa atong pagdasok sa mga malls, kani atong mga nakita sa mga report na gisalikway na ang physical distancing policies and protocols,” Lopez said.

The province as of Tuesday continued to record a downward trend in active COVID-19 infections with the total number of ongoing cases down to 22.

Prior to the downtrend however, the number of active cases reached a height of 154 during the start of the month which authorities have attributed to the public’s flouting of health safety protocols such as social distancing.