By Armando Fenequito Jr.
DAVAO CITY —The municipal government of Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte has intensified its contact tracing after it announced that a resident might be infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Municipal Health Officer Dr. June Lim said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is currently monitoring one patient who was confined at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) after manifesting symptoms of COVID-19.
Lim said the patient has been subjected to nasopharyngeal swab which is required for a COVID-19 test. The result is expected in the coming days.
She said the patient is a resident of Barangay Kimamon and has visited the municipality of Santo Tomas on May 2, just two days earlier when the entire municipality was placed under General Community Quarantine on May 4, 2020.
Lim said the municipality approved on May 4 the opening of the establishments that were allowed to operate under GCQ including the operations of buses, public utility jeepneys, and tricycles..
She said it was on the same day that they learned about the COVID-19 suspected case which was communicated to the Santo Tomas IATF from the health officials in the Davao region.
This prompted the Santo Tomas IATF to suspend the operations of the pedicabs or tricycles.
In a statement, the Santo Tomas IATF said it is judgement call to suspend the operations of pedicabs to give way to a more intensified contract tracing amid the reported COVID-19 suspected case.
“We appeal to the public’s cooperation. Although we are in a GCQ, this is not the time to relax and be complacent in the implementation of our GCQ protocols,” Lim said.