Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Quezon rise to 18

LUCENA CITY –– The confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Quezon province jumped to 18 after three new cases were recorded Tuesday afternoon.

In a 3 p.m. bulletin, the Quezon Public Information Office (QPIO), revealed that three more confirmed virus carriers from Lucena City, Tiaong, and Candelaria towns have been added to the list.

Patients infected with the virus were traced to Lucena with seven; Sariaya, Tayabas City, Candelaria, and Unisan with two each; Sampaloc, Tiaong, and Infanta with one each.

However, the patients from Unisan, Infanta, and one from Candelaria have died, thus reducing the virus carriers in the province to 15.

Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala revealed that the latest confirmed virus carrier in the city was also a resident of Barangay Cotta. The said village had already recorded a confirmed COVID-19 case last week.

To prevent the spread of the virus in the village, Alcala on April 4 ordered the isolation of 140 persons living in the neighborhood of the first confirmed virus carrier.

They were temporarily quartered in two public school buildings in the village and are being closely watched by health workers, policemen, and Army soldiers while undergoing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

A retired health worker from the village urged policemen and village watchmen to strictly implement Alcala’s lockdown order and the provision in the enhanced community quarantine directive of President Duterte.

“It’s the usual scene here as if there’s no ECQ.  Bystanders loiter around even in the dead of night. They are potential virus carriers,” said the frightened villager who requested anonymity.

On March 29, Alcala placed the entire city in total lockdown to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus.

Lieutenant Colonel Romulo Albacea, Lucena police chief, vowed to arrest quarantine violators.

He reiterated his warning to city residents to strictly obey the lockdown order or face punishment.

The QPIO also reported that the province had a total of 366 validated “patients under investigation” (PUI).

At least 63 PUIs had been discharged from medical facilities, and another 100 with mild symptoms had completed the mandatory 14-day home quarantine and showed no signs or symptoms.

The report said 57 of the PUIs were still confined in different hospitals, while 140 of them were still undergoing the mandatory home quarantine.

Of the six PUIs who died, at least two were tested negative from the virus.

Another two were still waiting for their test results.

The first two casualties in the record remained classified as PUIs. The QPIO bulletin did not elaborate.

LZB