Targeted lockdowns eyed in Calamian Islands; 50 COVID-19 cases so far

 INQUIRER file photo (LYN RILLON)s

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Several barangays in the Calamian Island group in Palawan (Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan) are planning to  impose “targeted lockdowns” amid the coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19)  crisis

As of Sunday, a total of 50 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been recorded, including 31 active cases, 18 recoveries, and one death.

The local government of Coron said that 11 new COVID-19 cases were recorded.  The infected residents are from Barangay Poblacion 1, Poblacion 3 and Poblacion 4.

The patients were close contacts of the two reported cases on Sept. 2. Contact tracing was initiated by the local health authorities.

In Busuanga, Jonathan Dabuit, municipal spokesperson, in a separate phone interview, said that the town’s first local transmission case involved a 63-year-old male with no travel history.

“It is local transmission because he has no travel history. Since the national government declared health emergency, the patient has not traveled outside Busuanga Island,” Dabuit said.

The initial contact tracing report from Busuanga recorded at least 67 close primary contacts.

“We are still determining where the patient possibly contracted the virus,” Dabuit added.

Since Coron reported it’s first local transmission case indexed on a deceased female patient on mid-August, at least six northern municipalities have enforced travel restrictions going in and out of the Calamian Island.

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