By Marie Tonette Marticio
TACLOBAN City – The Department of Health in Region 8 (DOH-8) has confirmed that Eastern Visayas' sixth confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was a 60-year-old female from Tarangnan, Samar.
DOH 8 Regional Director Minerva Molon said the new confirmed case was also an employee at Tarangnan Community Hospital in Tarangnan, Samar where she had close contact with Patient EV 3 and Patient EV 4.
The patient who has asthma complained of occasional coughing on April 11. He swab specimen was taken for confirmatory testing at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center on April 16.
She was referred to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center here Monday, April 20.
Molon added her result came with 57 other samples from the region, which all turned out negative including those of Patient EV 3 and Patient EV 4 who are now ready for discharge from the hospital.
DOH has also reported that four of the six COVID-19 patients in the region have already recovered, including the first case from Catarman, Northern Samar and the second case from Calbayog City, Samar.
Molon, however, noted that the three cases recorded in Tarangan town meant there was already local transmission since they all had close contact with Patient EV 2 from Calbayog City.
“New confirmed case of COVID-19 means the virus is still here, the risk of having the virus is higher especially when you are outside. Please help us to cut the transmission by staying at home and continue practice proper hygiene,” Molon urged.