ILOILO – The public market of Cabatuan town is closed to the public today and tomorrow. It will be decontaminated.
Mayor Ronilo Caspe ordered the two-day closure on Sunday morning. He observed that many vendors and people entering the market were not observing minimum health standards – they were not wearing facemask and face shield and not observing physical distancing.
As of Oct. 4, Cabatuan had nine active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases – seven at the town’s quarantine facility and two in the hospital – and three deaths.
Caspe urged his constituents to observe minimum health standards including washing their hands with soap and water or disinfectant, and refrain from unnecessarily leaving their homes, especially senior citizens and those who are immunocompromised.
The local government of Cabatuan has stepped up its information and education campaign on COVID-19.
The municipality recorded its first case of local COVID-19 transmission in July – an asymptomatic, 53-year-old female.
On Sept. 20 a 65-year-old female and a 60-year-old male residents of Cabatuan town diagnosed with COVID-19 died in separate hospitals in Iloilo City.
With no history of travel to areas with COVID-19 cases, the two senior citizens were considered local cases.
Caspe said the two frequently visited hospitals for checkup prior to being diagnosed with COVID-19. He thus suspected that the two cases contracted the illness from the hospitals.
The 65-year-old female was taken to a private hospital in Iloilo City on Sept. 13. She was swabbed as part of the hospital’s standard operating procedure.
Two days after, her swab result was released – she was positive for COVID-19.
On the other hand, the 60-year-old male was hospitalized on Sept. 14. He was swabbed, too, and the result was released on Sept. 19 – a day before he died.
Contact tracing has been launched./PN
