Muslim cleric, companions quarantined as man they buried found COVID-19 positive

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—Local authorities have placed on quarantine an imam and several others who took part in the burial of a 66-year-old Pakistani who died of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

City Health Officer Dr. Noel Ceniza said the imam and his companions were already under quarantine while awaiting the result of their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test.

The imam, according to Ceniza, led burial rites for the COVID-19 patient who died last Sept. 28 in a local hospital.

He was buried in accordance with Muslim tradition in Tiguma village here.

The patient’s coronavirus test result was only known last Wednesday, Oct. 7. He was the first COVID-19 fatality in Zamboanga del Sur province.

Provincial information officer Jeesrel Himang said health officials have determined that the infection of the Pakistani was a case of local transmission in Mahayag town where he lived with his Filipino wife.

The couple arrived in the province last July and underwent the required quarantine procedures, said Himang.

On September 27, the patient, who was on dialysis, was admitted to a private hospital in the city due to loss of sense of smell and taste. He died the following day.

CFC