TACLOBAN CITY –– A town in Eastern Samar has sent “swabbers” to its neighboring municipality to help in its contact tracing activity amid the rising number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
Mayor Roland Boie Evardone of Arteche town said the local government unit had sent swabbers to Oras town last Dec.17.
“With the volume of primary close contacts of Oras, we felt that it would be an opportunity for us to share the responsibilities, after all, the true spirit of Christmas is giving,” said the young mayor, a registered nurse by profession.
Arteche has two active COVID-19 cases, while Oras has more than 30 patients.
Oras Mayor Vivienne Alvarez has placed the entire town under general community quarantine from Dec. 23 to Jan. 6 to help stop any further spread of the virus.
She earlier announced that half of the personnel at the Oras District Hospital has been tested for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the town of Talalora in Samar province posted its second confirmed COVID-19 case involving the husband of its first COVID-19 patient.
Talalora, an island town, posted its first COVID-19 case on Dec.16.
In Biliran town, Biliran province, its mayor, Grace Casil, imposed a 10-day lockdown, which started on Dec. 27 to Jan. 10, 2021 to stop the spread of COVID-19 cases.
As of Monday, the town has 36 COVID-19 cases and one death.