ILOILO City – Western Visayas has 12 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Eleven of them were newly-returned locally stranded individuals (LSIs) while one was a repatriated overseas worker.
According to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, 10 of these 12 new cases were based in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City while the two others were based in the towns of Tubungan and Pototan in Iloilo province.
These new cases brought to 240 the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region, said Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, chief of DOH-6’s Local Health Support Division, yesterday.
These were the new cases:
* 30-year-old female from Tubungan, Iloilo (Patient No. 229)
* 23-year-old male from Escalante City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 230)
* 29-year-old female from Victorias City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 231)
* 24-year-old female from San Enrique, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 232)
* 48-year-old male from Hinigaran, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 233)
* 21-year-old female from Himamaylan, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 234)
* 27-year-old male from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 235)
* 52-year-old female from Victorias City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 236)
* 29-year-old female from Bacolod City (Patient No. 237)
* 42-year-old male from Pototan, Iloilo (Patient No. 238)
* 25-year-old female from Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 239)
* 25-year-old female from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 240)
All of them were asymptomatic and under quarantine, said Pulmones.
Patient No. 238 was the only repatriated overseas worker in this batch of COVID-positive cases.
Of the 11 LSIs, four were from Cebu while seven were from Metro Manila.
DOH-6 assistant regional director Dr. Ma. Julia Villanueva urged Western Visayans to continue being vigilant.
“Those with history of travel to COVID-19-affected areas or possible exposure to the disease should undergo either home or facility quarantine for 14 days. Wear face mask. Minimize interaction with other people, and frequently wash hands with soap and water,” she said.
Proper disinfection and infection prevention and control measures should be regularly practiced at home, especially focusing on frequently-touched areas like the door, light switches, tables and cellphones among others, Villanueva added.
Here’s the breakdown of the region’s 240 cases – Aklan, six; Antique, 14; Capiz, six; Guimaras, zero; Iloilo province, 23; Negros Occidental, three; Bacolod City, 11; Iloilo City, 20; and repatriates (overseas workers and LSIs), 157.
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan City, China in December 2019.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough.
Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell.
The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales./PN
