By Marie Tonette Marticio TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas has recorded its 14th coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case from Catbalogan City in Samar. The Department of Health (DOH) 8 said Patient EV 14 was a 54-year old female employee of Tarangnan Community Hospital. She was exposed to Patient EV 2 from Calbayog City last March 16, however, she only manifested symptoms of COVID infection on April 24. Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 regional director said they were looking into the possibility that she could have been infected by the nine other confirmed cases in Tarangnan other than Patient EV 2 who also works in Tarangnan Community Hospital. Molon added that close contacts of Patient EV 14 yielded negative results for the virus, while the patient, herself, would be referred to Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City due to her existing co-morbidity condition of hypertension. Her results came from the 13th batch of the swab samples sent to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City, wherein 93 out of the 97 samples tested negative for COVID, with three other tests remain pending. Meanwhile, Catbalogan City Mayor Dexter Uy has imposed travel restrictions in Brgy. Mercedes until May 19 where Patient EV 14 resides. "The contact tracing of the DOH, in coordination with the City Health Office shall commence in order to trace all possible locations and personalities as well as the conduct of rapid testing among direct contacts of the suspected case," he added. He stressed the need to impose the travel restrictions in order to limit the movement of individuals and restrain the possible spread of the virus.