INFODEMIC SCARE: Iloilo town debunks reports of COVID-19 case

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

Nothing but “fake news.”

Local government officials denied reports of a confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) in Cabatuan, Iloilo.

In a post afternoon of March 4, 2020, the Facebook page of Cabatuan LGU warned the public against believing reports of a confirmed COVID-19 case in the municipality.

The post added that Mayor Ronilo Caspe and the Cabatuan Rural Health Unit (RHU) have confirmed that the reports are nothing but hoax.

The post added that “only DOH can confirm a case. If there are Persons Under Investigation (PUIs), it does not mean they are confirmed.”

“In these times of public health emergency, let’s do our part in helping our gov’t protect us. Our front line healthcare workers are doing everything, so let support them by not sharing or making fake news.”

Earlier that day, there were messages sent through messaging application Messenger.

The message warns of not going to a supermarket in Cabatuan because there is an nCoV 2019 (which is now COVID-19) monitored in the area.

The person that is being monitored allegedly came from Hong Kong and is residing in one of the barangays in Cabatuan.

That person allegedly went to the mentioned grocery store.

The message also pointed to a certain “Florence” who is working at the town hall as the source of information.

On Monday, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (OH-CHD) in Western Visayas confirmed that all patients under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 have been cleared of the dreaded infection.

But the health department is still closely monitoring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) coming home from countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases to keep the region free from the disease.

Dr. Mary Jane Juanico, DOH-CHD-6 Infectious Disease Cluster head, said the last admitted PUI in the region tested negative for the virus.

Since January 2020, the health department recorded 40 PUIs in the region with 39 of them testing negative for COVID-19.