BALANGA CITY, Bataan (PNA) – Forty-two new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were recorded Sunday in this province, the highest registered in a day since the first patient was logged here.
Dr. Rosanna Buccahan, chief of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), confirmed on Monday that the number was indeed the highest, surpassing 29 cases registered last July 29.
With the 42 new infections, she said the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province now reached 702.
Of the new cases, 32 came from Mariveles, prompting Mayor Jocelyn Castaneda to declare a modified lockdown in Barangays Poblacion and San Carlos from Sunday dawn to Tuesday dawn.
The Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles also placed some companies under lockdown and conducted disinfection and contact tracing.
FAB information officer Hazel Keith Ellorin said they undertook massive tests where 28 workers were found positive of the virus and placed in isolation centers.
Ellorin could still not provide the number of companies under lockdown and the number of workers affected.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, there were 100 multi-national firms with 40,000 workers in the Mariveles freeport.
Aside from 32 cases from Mariveles, the other new confirmed infections are six from this city and one each from the towns of Samal, Dinalupihan, Pilar, and Limay.
Meanwhile, the number of those who recovered increased to 443 with the addition of five, all from this city, including a female health worker.
There are 243 active cases while the number of deaths remained at 16.
The PHO said that 10,749 were tested negative, 702 were positive and 105 still waiting for the results from 11,556 Bataan residents who were subjected to COVID-19 tests.