SAN PEDRO CITY –– A 48-year-old man from Imus City, Cavite tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), making him the first confirmed case in Cavite province.
The patient, undergoing treatment in isolation at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City, was among the 24 confirmed cases disclosed by the Department of Health and Malacañang as of late Monday.
“He is fine. Not in a critical condition,” said Cavite health officer Dr. Nelson Soriano in a phone interview.
He said local Cavite officials just received the patient’s test results early on Wednesday.
“We have also already started contact tracing,” he added.
The man, a resident of Barangay Buhay na Tubig in Imus City, arrived from the Narita Airport in Tokyo on February 28.
The onset of the symptoms began February 29 and he was admitted to a hospital on March 7.
The patient’s specimen was tested for COVID-19 only on March 9.
Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla on Monday evening ordered classes suspended from March 10 to 14 to reduce students’ exposure to the viral disease.
Since the outbreak until Tuesday, Cavite had 32 persons placed under investigation in medical facilities, of which 27 tested negative.
Soriano said 81, meanwhile, remained or were previously placed under home quarantine./lzb