More Koronadal City detainees test positive for COVID-19

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Philippines — An additional 33 detainees in a  police detention facility here tested positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Dr. Edito Vego, Koronadal City health officer, said the 33 new infections were part of the 42 individuals from the facility who were swabbed after 21 detainees were found to have the virus two days ago.

Included in the new infections were police officers and relatives of some of the detainees in the packed facility, Vego added.

The new infections bring to 54 the total cases from the detention facility.

The new patients included two police officers and seven other residents, including a family of four. Two are senior citizens who are being checked for other health issues.

“They are now all isolated, contact tracing efforts are underway. Those isolated are asymptomatic,” Vego said of the patients.

Vego said lock-up cell visitors from last month until Tuesday this week are being traced for possible exposure.

Visit privileges have been suspended since Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Vego suspects that the virus could have been brought in either by one of the new detainees, from police officers who regularly come in and out of the facility, or from visiting relatives.

Lt. Col. Joefel Siason, city police chief, said the facility was designed for only 20 people, but at the time of the outbreak it had 65 detainees.

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