BUTUAN CITY – The regional office of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) based here has registered a total of 455 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Caraga region.
This, after the DOH Caraga confirms receipt of 146 RT-PCR confirmatory results from the GeneXpert TB Reference Laboratory of Butuan Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center and Davao One World where 111 tested negative and 35 turned positive for the COVID-19 virus,” the state health agency said over the weekend.
Data showed that the majority of the cases were aged 20 to 40 years old. The youngest of the victims was 12 years old, and the oldest was 71 years old.
There were 24 locally stranded individuals (LSIs), five were local transmission cases in Butuan City, three were returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), two were close contacts of previously confirmed cases, and one was a hospital non-medical worker.
The new confirmed cases were distributed in the following areas: the province of Agusan del Sur (10): Bayugan City (4), Rosario (1), San Francisco (2), San Luis (2), Talacogon (1), for the province of Surigao del Norte(2): Sta. Monica (1), Taganaan (1), for the province of Surigao del Sur (7): Bayabas (2), Carmen (1), Lianga (1), San Miguel (3) and (7) first documented confirmed cases in the Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI): Cagdianao (2), Loreto (4), San Jose (1).
Meanwhile, the nine additional cases were from Butuan City in the following barangays: Agusan Pequeño, Ambago, Bonbon, Buhangin, Dulag, J.P. Rizal, Maon, Villa Kananga and San Vicente.
Twenty were asymptomatic, while 10 exhibited mild to moderate symptoms.
The asymptomatic cases are now being strictly monitored in the designated quarantine facilities, while symptomatic patients were admitted at identified hospitals for management, the DOH-CHD said.
“We appeal to the confirmed cases and their close contacts to fully cooperate and be truthful to the contact tracing team. In this way, we can detect and immediately isolate and manage identified individuals, and to avoid further spread of the virus,” DOH 13 Regional Director Dr. Jose R. Llacuna, Jr. said.
To date, the number of COVID-19 confirmed positive cases in Caraga region now totals 455 with 333 recoveries that have been discharged and released, 118 are still active, and there have been four 4 deaths.
“Our cases are continuously rising just as we are continuously moving and we call on everyone to increase vigilance and be accountable to our own health,” stressed the region’s health chief said.
Llacuna urged Caraganons to stay away from the three big Cs: Closed spaces that have poor ventilation, Crowded areas and Closed-contact settings, especially where people have closed-range conversations. The risk of clustering of cases or cases that will most likely increase is when these 3Cs overlap.
“When these settings are not avoided and we do not protect ourselves, then there is a high risk of getting the infection,” stressed further if the region’s top DOH 13 official.
In addition, Llacuna also advised those who will go out for work to return home with their items cleaned before entering the house to protect their families.
“The key is always in our hands by following the minimum health standards to beat COVID-19,” he added.