LAOAG CITY–The province of Ilocos Norte has recorded two new confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case, a week after the last reported confirmed case in Bacarra town.
In a public statement, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc said, on July 6, 2020, the latest Covid-19 positive patients were admitted on July 3, 2020 at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMM&MC) in Batac City.
“Both are considered authorized persons outside residence (APOR): one travelled from Quezon City to deliver medical equipment while the other belongs to a group of skilled workers from Cavite,” said the governor.
The Batac City hospital also reported that the seven persons who were in contact with them tested negative based on swab testing result. Although the two cases were tested and are currently being treated at the Batac hospital, the governor clarified both are not counted in Ilocos Norte’s official tally of COVID-19 cases because they are not residents here.
“While we cannot legally lock down our borders to cargo, returning residents and APOR, we do have strict protocol firmly in place, including a mandatory quarantine for returning residents and interview, heath check, and a record of all those entering or passing through our borders,” he added.
As of press time, Ilocos Norte has a total of five confirmed cases, four of them have recovered while the other one is under stable condition.
Ilocos Sur now has 6 COVID-19 cases
IN Ilocos Sur, a 50-year old male official of the Philippine National Police Ilocos Sur tested positive again for COVID-19 after recovering from the same disease three months ago. Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis Singson confirmed this as the patient was tagged as the province’s sixth COVID-19 case or IS-C6. In his public statement, Mr. Singson said an “official business” prompted the recovered patient to travel to National Capital Region from July 6-9, 2020 and when he arrived on July 10, 2020, he was immediately quarantined at Camp President Elpidio R. Quirino in Brgy. Bulag, Bantay, Ilocos Sur along with five other uniformed personnel who travelled with him. IS-C6 later tested positive again for the coronavirus.
“He is asymptomatic and is currently isolated at the ISPHGS,” the Ilocos Sur governor said as he reiterated the importance of “physical distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing of face masks in public.” Mr. Singson said contact tracing is now ongoing to track the places the police official had reportedly visited. Earlier, another COVID-19 positive case was reported in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur with no travel history but works as a security guard at a national agency in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. Said patient is currently isolated at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital Gabriela Silang (ISPHGS) in stable condition with very mild symptoms.
By Leilanie G. Adriano | Staff Reporter