By Emme Rose Santiagudo
Two of the 311 specimens from Western Visayas tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Health-Center for Health Development in Western Visayas (DOH-CHD) 6 reported on Tuesday.
“Out of the 311 results released as of April 6, 2020, two came out positive for COVID-19 or equivalent to 0.64%,” the health department said.
In a bulletin issued by DOH-CHD 6 on April 7, the two new positive cases were from Antique and Iloilo province.
WV Patient No. 35 is a 74-year-old male from Caluya, Antique who had travel history to Manila. The patient, the first in Antique, is diabetic and asthmatic. He is admitted in a hospital and in stable condition.
Meanwhile, WV Patient No. 36 is a 25-year-old female from Barotac Nuevo town in Iloilo province. She is the second recorded case from Barotac Nuevo. The patient is also in stable condition in a hospital.
WV Patient No. 36 or the second case of Barotac Nuevo had no exposure to WV Patient No. 10 who is also from the same town, according to Dr. May Ann Sta Lucia, head of the Health Promotion Cluster of DOH-6.
“Based on the report of our Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) wala ka state na close contact siya. Contact tracing is still ongoing for the new cases,” she said.
ILOILO EXTENDS ECQ
Meanwhile, Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said in a radio interview Tuesday evening that there is a possibility that he might extend the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to April 30, 2020 because of the rising cases in the province.
In Iloilo City, Mayor Jerry Treñas said he will issue an executive order today, April 8, extending the ECQ to the end of the month after consultation with experts and stakeholders.
The two new patients bring the total COVID-19 cases in the region to 36 with six deaths.
Iloilo province has the highest cases at 13 with three deaths; Bacolod City (7) with one death; Aklan (6); Iloilo City (4) with one death; Capiz (4) with one death; and Negros Occidental and Antique with one case each.
Only the province of Guimaras remains COVID-19-free.
Meanwhile, a total of 391 persons under investigation (PUIs) tested negative from Covid-19.
PUIs are individuals with travel history in places with confirmed cases and exposure to positive case and exhibited signs and symptoms.
Moreover, 163 PUIs have been discharged while 162 remain admitted.
Out of the 54,374 reported persons under monitoring (PUMs) in the region, 44,238 have graduated from their 14-day home quarantine.
PUMs individuals with travel history in places with confirmed cases and exposure to positive case and are asymptomatic.
CONTACT TRACING, ISOLATION
In a statement, Barotac Nuevo Mayor Bryant Paul Q. Biron said the Municipal Health Office is already conducting contact tracing and the immediate family and co-workers of this new COVID-19 patient are already under quarantine.
“The patient’s co-workers were already tested. We are now working to have the immediate family of the patient be tested as well,” Mayor Biron said.
The local government also asked permission from the Department of Education to temporarily use Barotac Nuevo Central Elementary School and Barotac Nuevo National Comprehensive High School as isolation units for persons under investigation (PUls) and persons under monitoring PUMS.
PUIs are individuals who travelled to places with cases of Covid-19 or were exposed to a positive case and manifested signs and symptoms of Covid-19 while PUMs are individuals who travelled to places with cases of Covid-19 or were exposed to a positive case and are asymptomatic.
“DepEd gave its green light to use said facilities pending completion of other requirements and preparations are already underway. Housing all PUls and PUMS in one area will make contact tracing for our Municipal Health Office easy and efficient. We are now pushing for all PUls in Barotac Nuevo to be tested so that detection of positive cases will be swift,” Mayor Biron said.
Biron also asked the public not to discriminate his town mates amid the crisis.
“I now call on everyone to have kindness and compassion. Please do not discriminate us Barotacnons in these extremely difficult times when circumstances dictate us to act irrational and inhumane. We are called to join together for one common endeavor and that is to defeat COVID-19. Please continue to stay at home and be safe.”
He also thanked their frontliners in the Rural Health Unit, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Market Supervisor’s COffice and those who have extended help to the town for their selflessness.
