ILOILO – Five residents of the municipality of Dumangas, Iloilo who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) got the infection through local transmission.
Alarmed local officials launched a wide-scale contact tracing to stop the virus from being passed on.
“It’s a big problem gid karon sang amon banwa,”acknowledged Mayor Ronaldo “Onal” Golez.
He told Panay News that 18 out of the town’s 45 barangays were subjected to thorough contact tracing in hopes of breaking the chain of transmission.
Personnel of the Municipal Health Office yesterday started identifying and alerting those who may have been exposed to infected patients.
Dumangas’ recent cases of local transmission stemmed from a 54-year-old female resident of Barangay Talusan.
The now Patient No. 2818 is an employee of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6 in Barangay Tacas, Jaro, Iloilo City.
To recall, NIA’s regional office went on lockdown on Aug. 3 following a surge of COVID-19 cases. Employees were advised to undergo home quarantine.
On the same day, Patient No. 2818 temporarily stayed at a relative’s house in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro.
On Aug. 5, the 54-year-old NIA personnel decided to come home to Barangay Talusan and started her home quarantine.
In the morning of Aug. 11, the patient went to Qualimed Hospital in Mandurriao, Iloilo City for her scheduled swab. From Dumangas, she took a jeepney ride to Barangay Tagbak, another jeepney to Jaro Plaza and rode on a taxi going to the hospital.
After her swab test, the patient was fetched by a NIA van and was brought home to Barangay Talusan.
It was on Aug. 16 when the patient allegedly attended a family gathering in their house, where she came in close contact with several relatives.
Her test result came out the next day, which turned out she was a COVID-19 virus carrier.
Quickly launching a contract tracing, the town’s COVID Task Force were able to tracked down 10 of the patient’s close contacts and had their specimens collected for laboratory analysis.
On Aug. 19, five of the 10 close contacts tested positive for the viral illness, including a three-month-old baby girl from Barangay Ermita, Dumangas – the town’s youngest COVID-19 patient so far.
The four remaining cases were the following:
* 15-year-old male
* 37-year-old female
* 75-year-old male
* 24-year-old male
According to the Municipal Health Office, one of these patients attended two separate wakes – in Barangay Jardin, Dumangas on Aug. 14 to 15 and in Barangay Cayos on Aug. 16 to 17.
Golez said two Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members and a barangay captain were also able to attend the Barangay Jardin wake and they all came in close contact with the infected patient.
“Nag-updanay ang isa sa lima ka nag-positive kag ang duha naton ka konsehal sa isa ka lamesa. So, high risk gid ang duha ka SB members kag isa ka barangay captain,” Golez explained.
The mayor was wary of a possible massive transmission, saying: “Nagkalain-lain nga mga tawo ang na-istorya sini (patient) kag naka-atubang.”
He said contact tracers are currently locating those who may have a possible exposure within the town’s 18 barangays – Rosario; P.D. Monfort North; Tabucan; P.D Monfort South; Cali; Sapao; Jardin; Talusan; Cayos; Mabini; Ermita; Cansilayan; Lacturan; Ilaya 3rd; Bantud; Managuit; Sulangan; and Regidor.
Golez appealed to his constituents who had possible exposure to an infected patient to immediately self-isolate and inform members of their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Team.
With the two town officials exposed to a COVID-19 patient, 10 SB members – including Vice Mayor Almar Marfito – voluntarily isolated themselves for 14 days.
They started their quarantine on Aug. 20, a day before the SB’s regular session.
As of Thursday, Dumangas registered 11 active COVID-19 cases.
Golez urged residents to observe health protocols all the time.
“Avoid necessary travel, stay away from crowds, stay at home, wear masks, and face shields, practice social distancing and wash hands,” the mayor said./PN
