BY IME SORNITO AND ADRIAN STEWART CO
ILOILO City – Stay alert, keep calm and practice good personal hygiene to combat the coronavirus disease or COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) urged the public, following the country’s first case of local transmission of the fatal disease.
“We have to remain calm but vigilant sa gihapon,” said Dr. Jane Juanico, head of the Infectious Disease Section of DOH Region 6.
According to Juanico, although there is only one remaining person under investigation (PUI) in Western Visayas, precautionary measures against respiratory infections must be observed.
“As of March 6, we recorded a total 42 PUIs. Na-discharged ang 41, wherein ang 40 diri negative ang result sa COVID-19 while ang isa is influenza ang result. And isa na lang from Iloilo province ang currently admitted sa hospital,” added Juanico.
The last PUI admitted at the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district here – an Ilonggo with a history of travel to Hong Kong – tested negative for the virus and as of this writing was preparing to be discharged from the medical facility.
Juanico stressed that cleanliness and personal hygiene are important in containing the spread of diseases and protecting the entire community.
On Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed to issue a declaration of a public health emergency to contain the spread of COVID-19.
This was confirmed by Duterte’s close aide Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.
“Pursuant to the recommendation of the DOH and my suggestion as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed to issue a declaration of a State of Public Health Emergency due to the confirmation of a local transmission of COVID-19 in our country,” Go said.
This followed the DOH announcement on Saturday that the country’s fifth coronavirus case was one of local transmission – meaning he had contracted the virus here- and that his wife had also been infected, becoming the country’s sixth case.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the DOH has recommended the declaration of public health emergency after it raised its alert to Code Red Sub-Level 1.
The Health chief said such a declaration
“will facilitate mobilization of resources and ease processes, including
procurement of critical logistics and supplies and intensifying reporting and quarantine
measures.”
“This is a preemptive call to ensure national and local government and
public and private healthcare providers can prepare for possible increase in
suspected and confirmed cases,” Duque said.
According to the DOH, the sixth case in the country was the wife of a patient
who was earlier diagnosed with the infection. Both of them are confined at the
state-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
“The DOH confirms that the previously reported 5th case of COVID-19 as the
first case of local transmission in the country after verification with BI,
showed that patient had no recent travel history,” said Duque.
“DOH also reports that patients’ wife tested positive for COVID-19 after
contact-tracing activities were prompted. This brings total number of COVID
cases in the country to 6,” he added.
The woman, 59, experienced cough and admitted to the RITM, Duque said. She is
currently in stable condition. Her husband, the 5th COVID-19 case, has no
history of travel outside the Philippines.
The fifth case had coughs last Feb. 25 and was admitted at the private hospital
Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City on March 1 with severe
pneumonia. He tested positive on March 5.
The man, who also suffers from hypertension and diabetes, frequented a Muslim
prayer hall in San Juan.
Meanwhile, the Malacañang has assured the public that the government is
prepared for “worst-case” scenario as Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo
assured that the DOH would continue to be “transparent” with its report on the
virus.
“The DOH is ready. It said that all protocols have been established and all
they have to do is implement them. Definitely, (the DOH is) honest. Si Secretary Duque pa,” Panelo said.
“There is no need for alarm or worry because we’re ready. From the very start,
we’ve already said that. We’re making advance preparation in addition to the
present measures that we have already undertaken,” he added.
The first three COVID-19 cases in the Philippines involved Chinese nationals
with history of travel to Wuhan, China, epicenter of the outbreak. One of them
died of severe pneumonia on Feb. 1 while two recovered and have returned home.
The fourth case, a 48-year-old Filipino man, had traveled to Japan, which has
recorded 349 confirmed cases and 6 deaths from the illness. There were also two
Philippines travelers, a Taiwanese and Australian, who tested positive to
infection./PN
