COVID-19 watch: 2 more PUIs die in Tarlac

TARLAC CITY– Two more Tarlac patients under investigation (PUI) have died, raising the province’s fatality count to 4 as the country enforces community quarantines to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The deceased PUI were recorded in the towns of Concepcion, Camiling, Sta. Ignacia and Paniqui. One died on Thursday (Mar. 19) while the other died earlier on Wednesday (Mar. 18).

The Department of Health has yet to confirm if the 4 PUI tested positive for COVID-19 as the province is still waiting for lab test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, said Arvin Cabalu, provincial information officer.

The latest fatalities died from acute respiratory failure, severe pneumonia and cardiac arrest. The previous fatalities died on Monday (Mar. 16) and Tuesday (Mar. 17) . One of them died from emphysema. The fourth fatality was a Metro Manila bus driver who went home to Tarlac before the National Capital Region was locked down.

As of this time, 27 PUIs are still being monitored in different Tarlac hospitals. They included a resident from Mangatarem town in Pangasinan province.

Two PUI from Nampicuan town in Nueva Ecija province have been sent home.

Edited by TSB