Persons watched for COVID-19 in South Cotabato now 1,218

KORONADAL CITY –– The number of persons under monitoring (PUMs) in South Cotabato has surged to 1,218 after President Duterte declared an enhanced community quarantine that extended from Metro Manila to the entire Luzon, provincial health officials said Wednesday.

Dr. Rogelio Aturdido, provincial health chief, said the sudden increase in the number of PUMs was due to the influx of residents, who came home from the National Capital Region, where the country’s first local COVID-19 transmission was confirmed.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, South Cotabato remained free of COVID-19, he said.

“The best way to help the government fight COVID-19 is to stay at home even if we still don’t have a confirmed case of coronavirus disease in the province,” Aturdido appealed to residents.

A total of 1,218 PUMs remain on self-quarantine as of March 17, after 195 of the PUMs completed their 14-day home quarantine without showing any symptom, the data from the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU) showed.

PUMs are those who traveled to areas with confirmed COVID-19 cases but don’t show signs and symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease.

All the 11 localities in South Cotabato have PUM cases, the highest of which was posted in Koronadal City, which posted 246 PUMs, followed by Polomolok, 155; T’boli, 126; Tantangan, 109; Surallah, 105; Tampakan, 102; Tupi, 100; Sto Nino, 95; Lake Sebu, 68; Norala, 58; and Banga, 54.

Of the 12 individuals classified as persons under investigation (PUIs), or persons who had a travel history abroad or in places with confirmed COVID-19 cases and showing signs of COVID-19, four were discharged after testing negative of COVID-19, the PESU said.

Aturdido said they were still awaiting the laboratory results of the eight other PUIs admitted to undisclosed hospitals across the province.

Edited by LZB