COTABATO CITY——The Department of Health (DOH) in the Soccsksargen recorded 72 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Thursday (Sept. 10), the highest single day count in the region so far.
The regional total is now 786 cases, surpassing the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) which has 759.
Of the 72 new cases, 29 were those of patients from General Santos City and South Cotabato with 23, the two areas now seeing a surge in cases.
Arjohn Gangoso, speaking for the regional DOH office, said Cotabato City has 12 new cases, among them a 5-year-old boy, raising its total tally to 96.
Following the death of a 52-year-old fish vendor who recently visited the General Santos City fish port, Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi ordered the lockdown of the village of Poblacion 6, where the man resided.
Eight of the new cases in Cotabato City were those of residents of Poblacion 6.
In Midsayap, Cotabato province, officials said local transmission of the virus occurred after a trader and his son were exposed to three people who eventually tested positive for SARS Cov2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Both came from Davao City and complained of sore throat, fever and other symptoms akin to those of COVID-19 a few days after returning home.
“This is a localized form of local transmission wherein the source of the infection has been identified and the infection has been confined to a small contained area,” said Board Member Philbert Malaluan, speaking for the Cotabato COVID-19 task force.
“This is very different from a widespread form of local transmission wherein we cannot identify the source and the area of infection is much more spread out,” Malaluan, a medical doctor, added.
Malaluan said all close contacts of the infected man and his son, who have been traced, are now on quarantine.
Cotabato province has 71 COVID-19 cases.