COVID-19 pandemic in Central Luzon
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Central Luzon
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	San Jose del Monte,Bulacan
Arrival date	March 9, 2020 (5 years, 8 months, 1 week and 1 day)
Confirmed cases	396,536
Active cases	1,972
Recovered	385,924
Deaths	8,640
Government website
centralluzon.doh.gov.ph

TheCOVID-19 pandemic in Central Luzon is part of theworldwide pandemic ofcoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused bysevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus reachedCentral Luzon on March 9, 2020, when the first case of the disease was confirmed inSan Jose del Monte.^[1] All provinces in the region have recorded COVID-19 cases. As of August 14, 2022. Central Luzon has 376,747 cases with 6,995 deaths.^[2]

The first case was initially reported to be a resident ofSanta Maria, Bulacan^[3] but was eventually clarified to be fromSan Jose del Monte, still in the same province.^[4][1] The patient has no travel history abroad.^[1] The first case per province by date of confirmation as is as follows:

• Pampanga – March 13, 2020^[5][6]
• Bataan – March 14, 2020^[7]
• Nueva Ecija – March 22, 2020^[8]
• Tarlac andZambales – March 26, 2020;^[9][10] the first case in Tarlac is a 75-year-old woman from Barangay Patalan inPaniqui while the second patient is a 39-year-old man from Barangay Pinasling inGerona. In Zambales the first case is a 73-year-old US citizen living in Barangay San Gregorio inSan Antonio who had traveled fromCavite toManila before returning to the province on March 15.
• Olongapo – March 28, 2020^[11]
• Aurora – August 12, 2020^[12]

On July 6, 2020, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region has breached the 1,000 mark with 1,021 cases and 75 deaths.^[13]

Cumulative COVID-19 cases in Central Luzon^[2]
based on numbers released on the DOH COVID-19 Tracker
Updated November 15, 2022; 4:00 p.m. (PhST)

LGU	Cases	Deaths	Recov.	Active
Aurora	4,452	230	4,209	13
Bataan	44,720	1,145	43,360	215
Bulacan	148,144	2,188	145,303	653
Nueva Ecija	45,700	1,382	44,026	292
Pampanga	75,433	1,626	73,472	335
Tarlac	33,181	910	31,937	334
Zambales	14,208	548	13,598	62
Angeles City (HUC)	20,986	347	20,606	33
Olongapo City (HUC)	9,545	260	9,250	35
unknown	167	4	163	0
Total	396,536	8,640	385,924	1,972

Central Luzon was also a major quarantine site for repatriates from abroad, particularlyNew Clark City Sports Hub inCapas, Tarlac. The first two COVID-19 cases among repatriates in New Clark City were confirmed on March 11.^[1][14]

The region is under the scope of theenhanced community quarantine in Luzon imposed by the national government on March 16, 2020.^[15]

In April 2020, the national government began converting theASEAN Convention Center at theClark Freeport Zone,Pampanga and theNational Government Administrative Center inCapas,Tarlac to COVID-19 quarantine facilities.^[16] TheIglesia ni Cristo also allowed the national government to lend thePhilippine Arena at theCiudad de Victoria inBulacan to be re-purposed for the same reason. The INC also offered the Garden Suites, also within the CDV as temporary residence for health workers.^[17]

Initially, suspected COVID-19 cases in Central Luzon are tested at theResearch Institute for Tropical Medicine andLung Center of the Philippines inMetro Manila. TheJose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Hospital inPampanga was the first facility being prepared as a possible COVID-19 testing center for the region.^[18] As of March 19, 2021, there are 17 accredited testing laboratories in the region: two in Bataan, five in Bulacan, five in Pampanga, three in Tarlac and two in Zambales.^[19]

• COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines by region
• History of Central Luzon

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from June 2020
• Use Philippine English from March 2020
• All Wikipedia articles written in Philippine English