ILOILO City – Health authorities detected 26 more coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections at the Iloilo Fishing Port Complex in Barangay Tanza here.
This prompted Mayor Jerry Treñas to extend the facility’s 72-hour lockdown for three more days beginning today to avert massive spread of the virus.
The latest cases, according to Treñas, were part of the 150 close contacts that the City Health Office tracked down after having exposure to the first three infected workers at the complex, one of whom died recently.
Here’s the breakdown of the 26 additions:
* Barangay Pala-Pala 2, City Proper – 10
* Barangay North Baluarte, Molo district – five
* Barangay Tanza Baybay, City Proper – four
* Barangay Calumpang, Molo district – two
* Barangay Simon Ledesma, Jaro district – two
* Barangay Cuartero, Jaro – one
* Barangay Tanza Bonifacio, City Proper – one
* Pototan, Iloilo – one
The test results of these patients were released yesterday.
As of Aug. 5, there were 29 confirmed COVID-19 cases at the port complex.
According to Treñas, he will place barangays North Baluarte and Barangay Tanza Baybay on 72-hour lockdown starting tomorrow at 6 a.m.
Barangays Calumpang and Simon Ledesma would also be placed on lockdown should cases there increase, Treñas said.
To recall, the city’s chief executive first ordered the lockdown of the Iloilo Fishing Port Complex on Aug. 2.
He said the closure would give way for contact tracing and disinfection of the complex – the traditional landing site of bagnetters and other fishing bancas in Iloilo City and nearby towns.
According to fish port officer-in-charge Engineer Reynaldo Calayag, around 150 “market participants” and employees were subjected to COVID testing.
With the complex’s temporary closure, Calayag said bagnetters and other fishing bancas must divert their fish haul to other ports.
Aside from the port complex, Treñas also locked down yesterday the Iloilo Terminal Market popularly known as “Super” for 72 hours beginning 12:01 a.m. today. This would allow disinfection of the market’s premises, he said.
Due to the spike in COVID-positive cases in barangays Pala-Pala 1 and 2 in City Proper, Treñas also placed the areas on lockdown starting today at 6 a.m.
The city mayor disclosed that four residents of Pala-Pala 1 tested positive for COVID-19.
Of the four, one was a nurse working at a hospital in the city. The three others were the nurse’s close contacts.
Based on the Aug. 5 data of DOH-6, Iloilo City has a total of 119 confirmed cases. Of the number, 69 were active while 45 already recovered and five died./PN
