The smallest member is now officially the region’s hotspot in Covid-19 infection.

The province logged a record 317 new cases Monday as it shut past the 1,000 mark with 1,053 cases in just six days and moving past Baguio as the hardest hit local government unit of the Cordillera for this month.

The surges in August and the first six days of this month saw Apayao leap frogging its bigger sisters with a total of 6,369 cases topped by Baguio and Benguet only. Baguio has 18,259 confirmed cases, while Benguet ranks second, the Department of Health – Cordillera reported with 11,625.

Kalinga, which logged 64 cases Monday, now has 6,029 confirmed cases, followed by Ifugao with 5,412 after Monday’s 85 new cases and Mountain Province remains the “safest” this month after logging 30 cases and a low 112 for a total of 5,043 confirmed cases.

A fast surging Abra, which reported no new cases Monday after it declared a 10 day extension of its enhanced community quarantine status, has 2,245 confirmed cases, records from the DoH – Cordillera showed. Abra has the fourth most number of cases this month with 379 new ones.

Apayao, which has been under modified enhanced community quarantine since the start of the month, has record high number of active cases that now strains the resources of the province especially in hospital beds.

The province has 1,370 active cases which is second to Baguio’s 1,392, according to DoH-Cordillera records.

Apayao, however, logged the lowest number of death with 23 or a mortality rate of 0.38 percent.

The province on Sunday reported two new Delta cases coming from Luna town for five total cases. The three earlier cases were reported from Pudtol.