Persons being watched for COVID-19 rise to 29 in Quezon

LUCENA CITY –– Authorities in Quezon province recorded a spike in the number of persons under monitoring (PUMs) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the figure now totaling 29 since last month.

A public advisory signed by Dr. Grace Santiago, Quezon health officer, and Dr. Anneavbit Talan-De Luna, provincial medical coordinator, and released by the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) at 5 p.m. Thursday, revealed that from 19 PUMs listed on Wednesday afternoon, 10 more had been added as persons placed under mandatory home quarantine for 14 days.

However, the report showed that nine of the old PUMs had completed the mandatory quarantine period. They remained healthy and without any respiratory symptoms, the IPHO said.

Of the remaining 20 PUMs, at least 18 were under home quarantine and close observation. The other two opted to be placed under self-quarantine outside of the province.

The IPHO stressed that as of 5 p.m. on Thursday, Quezon remained “negative” for COVID-19 cases.

PUMs are those who recently traveled to China, Macau, or Hong Kong “but showed no respiratory symptoms and were advised to go into home quarantine” immediately after their arrival.

Talan-De Luna said the rise in the number of PUMs in Quezon was the result of continuous monitoring and strengthened surveillance of health workers.

She said some of the PUMs voluntarily submitted themselves to local health authorities.

Talan-De Luna also disclosed that barangay health workers were conducting continuous surveys and monitoring of locals who just arrived from abroad.

“And every day, there were reports from surveillance officer from RESU (Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Units) whenever they detect one,” she explained in an online interview.

The five persons under investigation (PUI), who were earlier recorded, had tested negative of the virus Tuesday and had been discharged from hospitals.

The PUIs are those who recently traveled to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau after the COVID-19 broke out and showed symptoms of cough, cold, or fever when they got back in the country./lzb