ILIGAN CITY—The local governments of Lanao del Sur province and Marawi City had declared community quarantines days after Mindanao’s first COVID-19 patient died in an isolation ward of a government hospital in Cagayan de Oro City.
A joint executive order was signed by Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr and Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra declaring community quarantine in the province and city from March 17 to April 14. It came only three days after Mindanao’s first COVID-19 patient died.
Patient No. 40, who was from Lanao del Sur, was first treated at the Adventist Medical Center in Iligan City before he was transferred to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro, where he died on March 13.
Adiong said the community quarantine would limit the movement of people in and out of the area which experts recommended to curb the spread of the disease that was first detected in Wuhan, China.
The two officials also imposed curfew hour from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting on Tuesday (March 17).
A report from Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said six Persons Under Investigation (PUI), or those who showed symptoms, are currently confined at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center while three more are still being traced.
At least 75 persons are being monitored but with no symptoms.