From four positive cases reported this week, the MIMAROPA Region’s COVID-19 positive cases increased to six as confirmed by the Department of Health-Center for Health MIMAROPA yesterday, March 28.
The Health Department first confirmed the earlier reported two additional positive cases from Oriental and Occidental, Mindoro.
The third case from Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro is the one year and nine month-old baby girl who had a history of travel to Manila. She was tested positive from COVID-19 after the RITM released the test result last March 27 and is now admitted to a local health facility in the said city and in a strict monitoring.
The fourth case is the 84-year-old male who had a travel history to Manila and to Occidental Mindoro. Although he sought medical consultation last March 22 due to cough and colds, but he died also that day because of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. His test result released last March 27 and stated that he was also positive with COVID-19.
TWO NEW CASES The new fifth case recorded in the province of Romblon was a 60-year-old German male who had a travel history to Manila to Caticlan. He was admitted in a local health facility in the said province on March 22 because of his on and off cough, but on March 25, he was transferred to a local health facility outside Romblon. On March 27, the RITM result disclosed and he is likewise positive of the virus.
Another male is the sixth COVID-19 positive case in the region and it recorded once again in Occidental Mindoro that according to DOH-CHD MIMAROPA, he had no travel history both abroad and outside the province.
The said 36-year-old patient sought a medical consultation due to cough and fever and admitted in the hospital last March 19, and tested positive with COVID-19 after the RITM released the test result yesterday, March 28. For MIMAROPA Region, he is the first positive patient reported to be asymptomatic at this moment, although currently placed under isolation in a hospital.
Amidst the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases, the CHD MIMAROPA told the press that they have augmented around 2,250 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other essential logistics for disinfection amounting to P3 million. They also announced the arrival of another batch of additional PPE in early week of April to be distributed to all provinces of MIMAROPA Region.
“CHD-MIMAROPA, together with the Provincial and City Health Offices of respective provinces are now conducting extensive information gathering and contact tracing of those interacted with and in close proximity with the confirmed COVID-19 cases,” Regional director Mario Baquilod statement in their press release.
CONTACT TRACING
The DOH-CHD in the region encourages those persons who have been in close contact with the said patients to follow the instruction of health workers for proper assessment and management. They said that they already requested the involved LGUs and health facilities to clean and disinfect their premises so that the further spread of infection will be prevented and controlled.
“Despite the increasing number of positive cases, we would like to assure the public that we are prepared to respond. At this point, our priority is our vulnerable population and the safety of our health workers who selflessly care and give their services to our patients,” Baquilod assured the people.
The regional director also pleads to the public to stop the spread of stigma and discrimination of those affected with COVID-19 as well as their families. Instead, he said that “let’s give them our heartfelt support and pray for their immediate recovery.”
HALT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN OUR PROVINCES’
“Let us all do our part in this fight. I would like to encourage every MIMAROPAN to seriously take the stringent community quarantine being implemented in their locality and religiously practice social distancing, hand washing and proper cough etiquette. With these preventive measures, we can still contain and halt the spread of COVID-19 in our provinces,” he further said as he appealed to the citizens to strictly obey the ongoing ECQ and other measures.
The CHD-MIMAROPA likewise explained that following the guidelines of DOH, they reiterate that not all PUIs need to undergo testing for COVID-19. To rationalize the use of limited testing kits, they said, PUIs verified by their local health workers with severe symptoms or with mild symptoms, but has preexisting medical condition or those who belong to the vulnerable population such as elderly and pregnant women will be tested. While PUIs with mild symptoms will be sent home for strict quarantine.
LOCALLY TRANSMITTED?
And when asked for verification, if there is already a local transmission in the region due to the case of the 6th patient, Regional HEPU chief Romalyn Racho said that it still being investigated by their office.
As of press time, the new PUIs declared to be negative from COVID-19 is 12. From the said data, five of them are from Romblon, three from occidental Mindoro, and two both from Palawan and Oriental Mindoro.