Davao Sur town gets its 1st COVID-19 case: OFW who arrived from Metro Manila

DIGOS CITY—The town of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur reported its first COVID-19 case on Tuesday (June 9), raising the number of cases in the province to 15.

Dr. Raygene Madronero, Sta. Cruz municipal health officer, said a 23-year old resident at the village of Zone 2 tested positive for SARS Cov2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, after returning from Saudi Arabia.

She was among the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who arrived in Metro Manila on May 18 and was quarantined in a facility there.

On May 29, results of initial tests showed her negative for coronavirus so she was allowed to board a flight to Davao City on May 30.

She was picked up by health workers from Sta. Cruz at the airport and brought to the town’s quarantine facility.

But blood samples taken from her later tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

She was immediately sent to a quarantine unit in the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, where she was tested anew.

On June 9, the Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (RESU) released results of the tests showing her to be positive for coronavirus.

Madronero said the patient had been admitted in one of the isolation facilities in Davao City.

Local health workers have already identified the persons she had close contact with and sent them to quarantine and subjected them to tests.

Madronero said all health workers who gave care to the patient during her stay in the isolation facility strictly heeded health protocols.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported nine new cases in the region on June 9, bringing the total number of cases there to 380.

Of the new cases, four were from Davao City and one each from Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental.

At least two COVID-19 patients recovered on Tuesday, bringing to 223 the total number of recovery cases in the region.

Edited by TSB