MANILA – The first coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) case in Visayas region, a 64-year-old male from Dumaguete City,
remains in a “critical condition” at a hospital in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.
According to reports, the Visayan COVID-19 patient, identified by the
Department of Health (DOH) as patient no. 39, was currently “hanging on for
life” at the Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC).
The patient was a councilor from Tayasan who went to Manila on Feb. 26 to
attend a Councilors’ League Conference on Feb. 28. He also went to Greenhills
Shopping Center in San Juan City prior to his departure to Tayasan on March 1.
He was initially confined to the Ace Doctors Dumaguete Inc. on March 7. He was
transferred at the SUMC on the wee hours of March 10 and was tested positive to
COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The patient, who is considered “immunocompromised” as he was a kidney
transplantee, attended a flag ceremony at Tayasan on March 2 and attended the
graduation ceremony of Tayasan elementary students before displaying COVID-19
symptoms.
Meanwhile, two hospitals in Dumaguete City are asking for help from the DOH
after at least 43 staff members went on quarantine after getting into contact with
a councilor who tested positive for COVID-19.
The local Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit wrote to the DOH-Central
Visayas office to send nurses to Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC) and
Ace Dumaguete Doctors from the DOH’s Nursing Deployment Program.
Stated in the letter is at least 20 nurses of Ace Doctors who had direct
contact with the councilor are on quarantine. At the SUMC, 23 medical staffers,
including two resident doctors, had been on quarantine.
Meanwhile, Patient 25 – a 31-year-old Filipino male who is a repatriate from
the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship from Yokohama, Japan – is a
Negros Oriental resident.
While he is asymptomatic, he is currently confined at the Jose B. Lingad
Memorial Regional Hospital in Pampanga. He was first confined at the quarantine
facility at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac./PN
The 1st COVID-19 case in Negros Oriental has died.