ILOILO City – Forty-four households in a neighborhood at Zone 2, Barangay Bo. Obrero, Lapuz district are on a three-day “surgical extreme enhanced community quarantine.”
Two new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were recorded in the neighborhood just days after a resident there died due to the viral illness.
The two new cases were a 39-year-old female (Patient No. 820) and a 71-year-old female (Patient No. 821).
Patient No. 820 is currently on home quarantine while Patient No. 821 is being isolated at the city’s quarantine facility.
Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the neighborhood lockdown beginning Wednesday afternoon, July 22. His Executive Order (EO) No. 105, series of 2020 covered 20 households considered as “high-risk” but yesterday 24 other households considered as “medium risk” were included in the lockdown, too.
The neighborhood’s two new COVID-19 cases were the wife and daughter of Patient No. 679, the 80-year-old male who died on July 7 but whose COVID-19-positive test result was known and released only on July 15.
The lockdown would end on Saturday afternoon, July 25, unless extended.
“Nag-lockdown kita kay basi may maka-close contact pa sa pamilya,” said Treñas.
Treñas’ EO ordered the households to observe the following:
* Refrain from unnecessary travel until the COVID-19 testing and sanitation process have been completed.
* Only Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) shall be allowed to enter and/or leave the neighborhood, and existing health and safety measures shall be strictly imposed.
* All forms of transportation, both private and public, are restricted.
The city government has been providing food – and medicines, if necessary – to the 44 households since Wednesday, he added.
Family members would also be swabbed and the specimens tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
As of 2 p.m. yesterday, 197 individuals from these families have already been swabbed.
Under Treñas’ EO, persons positive for COVID-19 in RT-PCT test shall be confined at the St. Therese MTCC Hospital which the city government tapped as its COVID-19 partner hospital.
According to Dr. Sophia Pulmones, head of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6’s Local Health Support Division, Patient No. 679 had on and off fever, loose bowel movement and shortness of breath on July 3.
On July 6 he was hospitalized and tested. He died the following day, a week before his test result came out.
From what DOH-6 so far gathered, Patient No. 679 had no history of travel outside Iloilo City but he attended a fiesta celebration in Lapuz before exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
The wife and daughter were both tested on July 17, two days after Patient No. 679’s test result was released. The mother-daughter test results came out on July 22.
“Gina-consider ina sia (Patient No. 679) nga local case. Ang source sang transmission was within the area, puede dira sa ila nga lugar or puede nga may close contact sia nga wala lang naton nabal-an,” said Pulmones.
Aside from his wife and daughter, Patient 679 also infected a healthcare worker – a 53-year-old female from Mandurriao or Patient No. 822, said Pulmones.
The healthcare worker is currently at the city’s quarantine facility./PN
