MANILA, Philippines – Antipolo City now has a confirmed coronavirus disease or COVID-19 patient, city mayor Andeng Ynares announced on Sunday.
Ynares said that the city’s first confirmed case — a sixty year old man — resides within a village in Barangay Mambugan. He was brought to a private hospital in Antipolo last March 9 after displaying flu-like symptoms.
The mayor said the patient is already included in the 140 COVID-19 cases announced by the Department of Health (DOH). He also did not have any travel history to countries with prevalent COVID-19 cases.
“Meron po kaming unang kumpirmadong kaso ng COVID-19 sa City of Antipolo, sa Baranggay Mambugan. Noong March 9 po siya ay isinugod sa isang pribadong ospital, at siya po ay na-intubate the next day. So ang sign niya ay cough and influenza symptoms,” Ynares said in an interview with DZMM.
(We have the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the City of Antipolo in Barangay Mambugan. Last March 9, he was brought to a private hospital, and was intubated the next day. He showed signs such as cough and flu-like symptoms.)
“Nalaman po namin ito kagabi so we had to meet with our presidente ng association ng village na malapit don sa bahay ng nagpositive sa nCoV,” she added. “What we did naman po sa local government, sa tulong din po ng BFP ay nagdisinfect na po tayo doon sa lugar na kalapit na village, para makalma ‘yong mga kababayan po natin doon.”
(We discovered this last night so we had to meet the presidents of our associations and villages near the house where the patient lives. What we did was, with the help of the Bureau of Fire Protection, was to disinfect the places near the village, to assure the people living there.)
According to Ynares, their Health team is already conducting contact tracing of people who may have been exposed to the patient, although immediate relatives have yet to show symptoms of COVID-19.
However, the patient is believed to have contracted the disease during a stay at a five-star hotel in Manila.
“Wala naman po, chineck na po ‘yan ng aming city health surveillance team kagabi, so nagko-contract tracing na po kami, fortunately wala pa naman pong sign so they are persons under monitoring, kasi hindi pa naman po sila inuubo,” Ynares explained.
(Our city health surveillance team have checked last night, we are conducting contract tracing, but fortunately none have exhibited signs so they are just considered persons under monitoring.)
“Sila po ay pumunta sa isang five-star hotel sa Manila noong February 26 to 28. Nag-check in sila sa isang hotel sa Manila, and I think siguro po ang pag-aanunsyo nyan ay dapat manggaling na sa DOH,” she added.
(They went to a five star hotel in Manila last February 26 to 28. They checked-in at a hotel in Manila, and I think maybe the DOH has to be the agency to make further announcements.)
Ynares however said that they are not yet considering a community quarantine in the city, as only one case has been confirmed.
Last Friday, Duterte announced that Metro Manila will be placed in a community quarantine starting Sunday due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the region. Currently, there are 140 persons in the Philippines who have tested positive for COVID-19, while 11 have died.
Across the globe, there are over 152,000 persons infected, with 5,801 individuals already dead. Most of the incidents and the casualties came from China, the virus’ place of origin.