15 provincial jail inmates among 25 new COVID-19 patients in Calapan

CITY OF CALAPAN –– The City Health and Sanitation Department on Thursday reported that 15 of the 25 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in this city are inmates at the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Jail located inside the provincial capitol complex here.

Calapan Mayor Arnan Panaligan, in a social media post, said the number could increase among the inmates because 188 of them have been swabbed, and several were still awaiting results.

The other 10 cases of the 25 include two from the local Pag-ibig office, three family members of an employee of a motorcycle store from Barangay Bulusan (Xevera), who earlier tested positive for COVID-19, and four from another family in Barangay Silonay, where one member had died of the virus.

Barangay Silonay remains on lockdown until September 20.

Another patient is a staff member of the City Environment and Natural Resources Department at the city hall and a resident of Barangay Lazareto.

Panaligan also announced the temporary closure of the Pag-ibig office in this city “until further notice” while authorities are undertaking contact tracing.

All branches of the motorcycle store, where one of their supervisors tested positive for COVID-19, would be allowed to reopen only after contact tracing and all health and safety measures implemented by the management after inspection by the city government, the mayor said.

As of 9 p.m. of September 10, the city has 218 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 87 of the active, with 128 recoveries, and three deaths.

LZB