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The number of firecracker-related injuries dropped significantly in December, the Department of Health (DoH) said.
From December 21, 2020 to January 1, 2021, the Health Department reported only 50 firecracker-related injuries, 85 percent fewer than the cases reported in the same period in 2020 and 89 percent less than the five-year average from 2015 to 2019.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the decline in the number of cases could not be attributed solely to the coronavirus disease pandemic, but also to the enforcement of a ban on firecrackers.
“The lower numbers we achieved this year are indeed a welcome advance, but we will not stop until we reach zero fireworks-related injuries,” Duque said.
While there were no deaths caused by firecrackers, a 12-year-old girl in Lanao del Norte was hit by a stray bullet to the head and died, according to Philippine National Police spokesman BGen. Ildebrandi Usana.
Two more stray bullet victims, a six-year-old boy in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, and a man in Dagupan city were reported.
The spokesman for the Office of Fire Protection Supt. Annalee Atienza said 29 fires were recorded on New Year’s Eve.
The National Capital Region registered the highest number of firecracker-related injuries with 22, followed by the Calabarzon region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with five cases, and the Ilocos, Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions with four cases each.
Manila had the highest number of cases in the capital with 12, followed by Caloocan with four. The cities of Pasig and Quezon had two cases each, and Malabon and Marikina each had. Overall, the capital saw an 88 percent decrease in the number of injuries compared to last year.
Kwitis, boga, five-star, fountain and triangle were among the leading causes of firecracker injuries.
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