Zambo city locks down 17 areas in village where COVID-19 patient lives

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The city government has shut down all access to 17 communities at the village of Sinunuc where the city’s first COVID-19 patient lived.

Pilarica Ledesma, Sinunuc village chief, said the 17 areas would be closed for disinfection.

The lockdown would restrict movement of people in the hope it would prevent transmission.

Ledesma said stores had also been closed to give way to disinfection. These may open after the lockdown was lifted.

Sinunuc has more than 16,000 people packed in tightly-knit communities that might as well serve as incubators of the disease.

Ledesma, the village chief, told resident not to worry about food as stores would reopen after disinfection.

On Tuesday night, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco announced the city’s first confirmed COVID-19 case.

The patient is a 29-year-old man who arrived from Manila on March 13 aboard a Philippine Airlines flight, PR 2993.

The city government has already sent out notices asking all passengers of the same flight to contact health authorities and go on 14-day home quarantine.

Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, Department of Health (DOH) regional director for Western Mindanao, said the patient experienced fever and chills on March 15 and sought medical care in a private hospital the next day.

Having a travel history to an infected place and symptoms, the man was tagged as person under investigation.

But he showed only mild symptoms, prompting authorities to just send him home to finish his quarantine. On March 17, or four days after his arrival, respiratory samples were taken from the man for tests at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

The patient is still isolated at home and his condition is good, said Dr. Dulce Miravite, city health officer.

Edited by TSB