ILOILO – The Municipality of Pavia has its first two confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Mayor Laurence Anthony Gorriceta announced around noon today.
“I am saddened by the information given to me by our Municipal Health Officer…despite the efforts we have done since Day 1 to contain the spread of COVID-19,” according to Gorriceta in a signed statement
posted on the Facebook page Balita Pavianhon.
The statement did not give details about the two cases – where they are currently, their health condition and from which part of the town they are residing.
As of noon today, the Department of Health (DOH) has also not yet issued a statement about the Pavia cases. It is expected, however, to give the latest statistics on COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas late afternoon today.
Gorriceta, however, assured Pavianhons he “immediately called for an emergency meeting, and at this very moment, our Municipal Health Office, in coordination with the Provincial Health Office and the barangay concerned, is currently conducting contact tracing of all persons that might have direct contact, as well as the degree of their exposure to the positive patients.”
He also stated that the Pavia police was “closely monitoring the area” and that on Tuesday night, April 7, “we conducted disinfection and sanitation operation.”
The medical technologist of the Municipal Health Office already collected specimens from the two cases’ contacts, added Gorriceta.
He requested further that all contacts of the patients should be tested.
Gorriceta further disclosed that Pavia Pilot Elementary School would be used as isolation centers for patients under investigation and persons under monitoring for possible COVId-19 infection. Forty-five rooms with individual comfort rooms would be utilized.
“My beloved Pavianhons, please be assured that we are taking care of all essential services behind the scenes. We are together in this fight,” stated Gorriceta./PN
