Three new COVID-19 cases point to local transmission

By Emme Rose Santiagudo and Dolly Yasa

Three new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Western Visayas indicate local transmission of the virus in Lambunao, Iloilo and Bacolod City.

In its press statement Wednesday, the Department of Health Center for Health and Development in Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6) said that the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the municipality/city/province indicates local transmission in some areas in the region, particularly in the municipalities of Guimbal and Lambunao in Iloilo Province and Bacolod City.

Local transmission indicates that the source of infection is within the reporting location, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Based on the latest bulletin from DOH-CHD 6, the three confirmed cases were close contacts of three earlier patients.

Patient WV 23 is a 62-year-old female from Bacolod City who died on March 31, 2020 and was a close contact of Patient WV 7.

Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the Inter Agency Task Force Against COVID-19, confirmed that the new COVID-19 positive patient is the mother of Patient WV 7.

The 24^th case is a 66-year-old woman from Aklan who is now in stable condition. She is a close contact of Patient WV 8.

Patient WV 25, a 44-year-old female from Iloilo province may have contracted the virus from Patient WV 16 who hails from the town of Lambunao.

As of April 1, 2020, the total confirmed cases in Western Visayas are 25 with five fatalities.

Iloilo province tops the list with seven cases, Bacolod City with six, Aklan has five, Capiz and Iloilo City with three cases each, and Negros Occidental with one case.

Antique and Guimaras are still COVID-19 free.

As of March 31, DOH-CHD 6 recorded 421 persons under investigation, 176 of whom tested negative.

A total of 106 PUIs are discharged while 117 are in hospitals.

Of the 47,566 persons under monitoring, 35,943 have completed the 14-day quarantine.

PUIs are individuals who travelled to places with cases of Covid-19 or were exposed to a positive case and manifested signs and symptoms of Covid-19 while PUMs are individuals who travelled to places with cases of Covid-19 or were exposed to a positive case and are asymptomatic.