Cagayan Valley has 5 new coronavirus cases

ISABELA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH)- Cagayan Valley reported on Wednesday, April 1 that there are 5 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the region, bringing the number of cases up to 20.  

DOH-Region 2 officer-in-charge Dr. Leticia Cabrera said that the patients who recently tested positive for the COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, were from the provinces of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Isabela.

Cabrera said that the cases from Cagayan were designated as PH 2268, a 35-year-old female from Tuao town and PH 2271, a 71-year-old American citizen who stayed in Tuguegarao City for a vacation. They confined at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC).

Dr. Cherrylou Antonio, CVMC’s Chief Medical Professional Staff, said that PH 2268 arrived in Manila from Hong Kong on March 14, while PH 2271 arrived in the Philippines on March 4 and traveled to Metro Manila and the Ilocos region, particularly Pagudpud and Vigan.

Antonio said PH 2268 experienced symptoms on March 18. PH 2271 felt the symptoms on March 14.

PH 2310 is a 29-year-old female health worker from Cabagan town in Isabela who is part of the surveillance team tracing the close contacts of coronavirus positive patients. She is now confined at the CVMC.

In Nueva Vizcaya, two individuals from Solano town were added to the 3 reported cases in the province. They are PH2313, a 30-year-old male, and PH 2315, a 53-year-old female.

The two are “close family contacts” of the region’s first case, PH 774, Cabrera said.

“Actually asymptomatic sila but pinapasundo na rin sila ng R2TMC (Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center) kasi nag-positive nga sila,” Cabrera said.

(They are close family contacts of the first case. Actually, they are asymptomatic but they were fetched by R2TMC because they are positive.)

Health officials said that the patients are all in stable condition.

Also on Wednesday, April 1, health officials announced that the results of the second swab tests of 6 COVID-19 positive patients in Cagayan Valley showed negative results.

The patients were identified as PH 275 of Tuguegarao City, the region’s first coronavirus case; PH 661 of Tuao, Cagayan; PH 837 and PH 840 of Alicia town in Isabela; PH 893, also from Tuguegarao City; and PH1261 of Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya.

Cabrera said she is “hoping and praying” that the cases will decrease and that there will be no new cases. She reiterated the importance of the enhanced community quarantine, saying that it helps in containing the spread of the virus.

“Siguro kailangan lang natin magtulungan dito. Kung pwedeng doon lang tayo sa atin. Mas kaunti kasi ang magiging contact ng mga cases kapag hindi tayo lumalabas,” she said.

(We just need to help each other. If it’s possible that we should only stay inside our homes, let us stay. The cases will have lesser contacts if we do not go out.)

Data released by the Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development, Region 2 has 312 patients under investigation (PUIs) and 21,050 persons under monitoring (PUMs), as of Wednesday.

Also as of late Wednesday afternoon, the Philippines has 2,311 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 50 recoveries, and 96 deaths. – Rappler.com