Kapitan who was a suspected COVID-19 case passes away

A village chief in the district of Molo died after exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Punong Barangay Myrna Espinosa of Brgy. Infante in Molo district expired Sunday morning, Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed.

In a radio interview on Sunday, Treñas said Espinosa exhibited flu-like symptoms of COVID-19, hence she was admitted to a hospital in Iloilo City.

She was also subjected to real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test but the result has yet to be released by the time of her death.

The mayor mourned the death of Espinosa who “spent most of her life taking care of her constituents.”

“I am very sad to announce that one of our hardworking barangay captains who was taking care of her barangay and constituents during these most difficult times left us and joined the Creator. Let us say a prayer for her every time we remember all the local chief executives in all the barangays working for their constituents,” he said in a statement.

On Friday, Treñas said he will schedule the swabbing of barangay captains in the metro following reports of symptomatic cases involving barangay officials.

“We will schedule the swabbing of all barangay captains starting with Molo district. We are doing this since we have reports of symptomatic cases already,” he announced on Friday.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 related fatality in Iloilo spiked to 27 based on COVID-19 Regional Case Bulletin No. 162.

The total confirmed cases are 1,180 with 670 active cases and 483 recoveries. (ERS)