CITY OF CALAPAN –– Five new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were recorded in the island town of Lubang in Occidental Mindoro province, health authorities said on Sunday.
The first is a 61-year-old man who has hypertension and had two declared close contacts.
Another case is a 54-year-old man who has no symptoms and had no declared close contacts.
Both are from Barangay Maguinhawa and returning residents from Muntinlupa City. They are also primary contacts of another patient previously reported when they arrived on March 11.
The third new COVID-19 patient is a 66-year-old man from Barangay Tangal with hypertension and bronchial asthma, a returning resident from San Juan City, who arrived in Lubang on March 14. and initially tested negative in a rapid antigen test for COVID-19.
But the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team members alerted the Rural Health Unit because three days after, he developed a high fever.
A repeat rapid antigen test was performed and revealed a positive result.
He was immediately quarantined in the village facility. His fever subsided after two days and remained without symptoms. He had 12 identified contacts.
The fourth is a 17-year-old girl from Barangay Maliig, a returning resident from Quezon City, who tested positive in a rapid antigen test upon her arrival to Lubang on March 18. She was without symptoms but was immediately isolated. She had six contacts.
The fifth is a woman from Barangay Cabra, who returned from Taguig City. She tested positive in a rapid antigen test on March 18 but showed no symptoms. The 49-year-old woman has hypertension, diabetes mellitus 2, and heart disease. She had five close contacts.
Lubang closed its borders when news of COVID-19 broke out last year in the country.
Since the pandemic, Occidental Mindoro had logged 401 COVID-19 cases, 40 of them active. The province has 347 recoveries and 14 deaths.