Mayor among 53 new COVID-19 patients in Catbalogan City

TACLOBAN CITY—The mayor of Catbalogan City in Samar province has tested positive for SARS Cov2, becoming the first elected official in Eastern Visayas to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

Mayor Dexter Uy, in a statement on Thursday (Aug. 20), confirmed he got infected with the coronavirus and is currently on quarantine.

Uy, 26, suffered from fever, colds, cough, body pains and lost his sense of taste and smell, which are among the symptoms of COVID-19.

The mayor said he believed he could have contracted the virus during his visits to communities in the city.

He appealed to people to heed health protocols like wearing face masks and face shields, practicing physical distancing and staying at home unless it was necessary to go out.

“This is the best way you can do to help contain the spread of the virus,” Uy said.

The mayor was among 53 new COVID-19 cases in Catbalogan City. At least 36 of them were health workers assigned to the Samar Provincial Hospital (SPH).

The city currently has 121 COVID-19 cases.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), Eastern Visayas has 1,918 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday with the additional 97 new cases, the highest single-day tally in the region.

Of the 97 new cases, the province of Samar logged the most infections with 67, followed by Leyte (25) and Northern Samar (5).

John Paul Roca, information officer of the DOH in the region, said the regional DOH office will send more medical professionals to the SPH where 61 staffers tested positive for coronavirus.

Of the 61 sickened hospital staffers, 36 were nurses and administrative employees.

The hospital was temporarily closed last Aug. 17 for disinfection.

TSB