2nd person infected with COVID-19 in Mindanao confined in Tagum City

DAVAO CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed Sunday the first person infected with COVID-19 in the Davao region.

This is the second person who contracted the respiratory disease in Mindanao and the 130th in the country.

The Davao Center for Health Development (DCHD) under DOH divulged that patient number 130 or “PH130” is from Region 11.

To date, the Philippines has 140 people infected with COVID-19, including 11 deaths.

In a separate factsheet released by the DOH Central Office, PH130 is from Davao de Oro and currently admitted to the state-run Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City.

“The confirmed case identified as PH130 is a 21-year-old Filipino female patient under investigation (PUI) is positive for COVID-19 after her laboratory results were confirmed by the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM),” DCHD said in a statement.

PH130 reportedly arrived in the country on February 29 from the United Kingdom with a transit in Doha, Qatar, and Manila before landing in Davao as her final destination.

“The patient first sought consultation to a local health facility due to cough and was immediately isolated on March 9, 2020. She was transferred and admitted for isolation and testing to a referral hospital last March 10, 2020,” DCHD said.

DCHD disclosed that PH130 is presently in a stable condition and that containment measures are being observed to stop local transmission.

DOH regional director Annabelle Yuman said a contact tracing team and the local government are now identifying persons who have close interaction with PH130 for proper medical assessment.

“We request those who will be identified as close contacts to the confirmed case to fully cooperate and provide necessary information for proper management and facilitation. Being personally responsible in order to control COVID-19 is an essential action in this challenging situation,” Yumang said.

DOH confirmed handling 50 PUIs in the region with 29 of them already discharged.

Test results of 25 PUIs were negative for COVID-19 but health workers are still waiting for the results of 13 cases that were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila.

“We assure the public that the Department of Health is on top of the situation. We have activated our Incident Command System and Rapid Response Team for appropriate management, including increased infection control, case management, and containment to prevent the spread of the virus,” Yumang said.

The local governments of Tagum and Davao announced on Sunday evening the enforcement of a partial lockdown of entry and exit points connecting the two cities.

It was still unclear if the drastic move was connected to the confirmation of PH130 as a COVID-19 patient.

Tagum Mayor Allan Rellon and Davao Mayor Sara Duterte have explained that the partial lockdown is an acknowledgment of limitations to the access of testing kits.