11 returnees, 5 close contacts of COVID-19 patients test positive for virus in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY—Bicol had its highest day-on-day increase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases with 16 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and close contacts of known patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the Department of Health reported on Friday (July 3).

With these new cases, the region’s total number of known COVID-19 cases has risen to 146.

Eleven of the new cases were in Camarines Sur province, while five were in Sorsogon province. The Camarines Sur towns of Pili, Presentacion, Baao, and Lagonoy; and the Sorsogon towns of Donsol and Prieto Diaz recorded their first cases.

Among the new patients is a six-month pregnant woman, 34, who was travelling back to Canaman town with two children aged 10 and 12, both of whom also tested positive for COVID-19.

They arrived on June 25 through the Philippine National Railways, which was also boarded by their close contacts who reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus last Saturday (June 27).

Three other close contacts—one each from Baao and Presentacion, and two from Tinambac town—also tested positive for COVID-19.

According to DOH, the six patients were asymptomatic when they were swabbed and housed in their local government units’ quarantine facilities.

Naga City also recorded two new cases—a 62-year-old man who arrived from Cebu City on June 27 and a 25-year-old man who was exposed to one of the COVID-19 patients in Concepcion Pequeña village.

The 25-year-old first experienced symptoms on July 1, two days after his close contact tested positive for the coronavirus.

Prieto Diaz town in Sorsogon also recorded their first three cases, all of them had close contacts with the province’s first COVID-19 casualty who died on Monday (June 29).

Another close contact, only described by DOH as a 43-year-old caregiver and a resident of neighboring Gubat town, tested positive after experiencing symptoms on Monday.

The first case in Pili is a 20-year-old woman, who arrived from Pasay City, while the first case in Lagonoy is a 38-year-old man from Antipolo City.

Both patients arrived on June 25 and were asymptomatic when they were tested.

The first case in Donsol, meanwhile, is a 64-year-old man, who went home from Parañaque City on Tuesday (June 30).

According to DOH, he first experienced symptoms on June 17.