10 houses in Negros Oriental city placed under localized lockdown

DUMAGUETE CITY –– At least 10 houses in a sub-village in Barangay Poblacion, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental were placed under a localized lockdown after a coronavirus patient in the area met with her family.

Dr. Liland Estacion, assistant provincial health officer, on Wednesday said it was, however, still unclear how the new patient came in contact with her family even while under isolation at a government quarantine facility.

Estacion said medical authorities are now investigating the incident.

The new case in the city, she said, tested positive even after 21 days of quarantine, which is longer than the prescribed 14-day incubation period for the coronavirus.

“Right now, I am telling my staff not to be complacent with patients even if they have finished the 14-day quarantine,” Estacion told reporters.

The new case involves a 39-year-old female who was repatriated from Cogon Pardo in Cebu City. She came in contact with two active cases—also from Guihulngan City—who were positive of the virus last month and on July 5.

She has been under quarantine since she arrived in Negros Oriental late last month. Estacion said the new patient is not showing flu-like symptoms.

The new case’s husband and child both tested negative for the virus.

As of July 15, there were 61 cases of COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, where 36 were active with 22 recoveries and three deaths.

At least 21 of the active cases in the province involve soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade, who came from deployment in Cebu.

Estacion said the soldiers have undergone a second swab test to see if they still have the virus.

Despite the rising number of cases in the province, she hoped that the national Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases would extend the modified general community quarantine in Negros Oriental.