COTABATO CITY—The man at the forefront of the fight against novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and his wife, have contracted SARS CoV2, the virus that causes the infection.
“Out of good conscience, I wish to inform you that my wife and I tested positive,” said Dr. Saffrullah Dipatuan, BARMM health minister, on Wednesday (Sept. 2).
“Despite the precautionary measures we practiced during this pandemic, this makes one realize just how vicious this virus is,” he added.
Dipatuan said he decided to go public with his infection because as health chief “it is my duty to keep our constituents informed on significant information that can affect public health.”
Dipatuan added that he was showing no symptoms but is currently isolated at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City.
“But my wife is experiencing mild to moderate symptoms and is also in isolation (while) undergoing treatment,” he said.
“We fervently pray to overcome this challenge,” Dipatuan said. He asking people in his office with whom he had close contact to go on quarantine and get tested when symptoms start to show.
On Tuesday (Sept. 1), 23 new cases were recorded in the Bangsamoro region, 22 of whom were from Lanao del Sur, Dipatuan’s home province, and one in Sulu.
The new cases raised to 674 the total in the region.