ILIGAN CITY -- The Department of Health Region 10 officially announced on Wednesday that the city already has a local transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
City Health Officer Dr. Cherlina C. Canaveral confirmed in a press briefing held at the city mayor's office following a case of COVID-19 patient whose source of infection is yet unknown despite contact tracing and verification by the local government unit with the DOH-10.
"Gikasubo nako nga dili nato masuta kung diin kini niya nakuha, kung asa kini siya posibleng natakdan sa maong sakit ug mahitungod niini atong napamatid-an nga duna kitay local transmission ning dakbayan," said Canaveral. (Sad to say we won't be able to know where and when he possibly got infected. But because of this, we now know we have a case of a local transmission in our city.)
Patient is identified as IC21, 30-year old male, and a resident of Purok Adelfa in barangay Mahayahay here. He is an employee of a company who has been working from home since March.
On June 15, 2020, he went to Maranding in Lanao del Norte for field work but went back immediately.
As per the company's requirement, IC21 was required to have a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test before going back to work which was done on July 21, 2020 in Cagayan de Oro City. The result was released on July 6 showing positive for SARS-COV2. The patient is symptomatic and is confined at the isolation facility.
Initially, eight primary contacts of IC21, including his family members were scheduled for confirmatory RT-PCR test while secondary contact tracing is ongoing.
The patient's mother is a treasurer of an organization and have met members on Saturday and Sunday, said Mahayahay kagawad and disinfection in-charge Rey Manzanero.
City administrator Leony Roy Ga said the Inter Agency Task Force on COVID here implemented a "focused containment" in portions of purok Adelfa and Gumamela where IC21 resides.
A 14-day focused containment started on Wednesday to primarily contain the spread of the virus. The LGU has pledged to support the 240 individuals affected. Nobody is allowed to go in and out of these areas during this period.
Police City director Col. Michael M. Pareja already deployed personnel to ensure the strict implementation of quarantine protocols in cooperation with the Mahayahay barangay council.
Canaveral urged Iliganons to follow health protocols such as the wearing of face masks, frequent hand-washing, and avoiding crowded places.