ILIGAN CITY –– A 24-year-old job seeker from Manticao town in Misamis Oriental was found to have contracted SARS CoV2 that causes COVID-19, as he was preparing for pre-entry requirements of his newfound work in Iligan City.
His infection is the first case of local virus transmission in Manticao, according to Dr. Jocelyn Bahian, municipal health officer.
Before this case, the town had eight COVID-19 patients, all returnees from Manila and abroad.
The patient, a resident of Punta Silum village in Manticao, showed no symptom of the disease, which was only discovered as he was mandated to undergo a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test at the plant site where he was applying for a job.
Bahian said the test was done on Sept. 2, and the result came out on Sept. 10.
Bahian added that before testing positive for the virus, the patient went to Iligan City to sign a job contract and underwent a medical examination.
He also traveled to the neighboring Lugait town before the test was performed.
Virus cases in Iligan City continued to spike, necessitating stricter quarantine measures to be imposed until the end of the month.
Cases have also surged in Misamis Oriental. As of September 10, provincial authorities recorded a total of 235 COVID-19 cases, of whom 146 are active.