28 new COVID-19 cases in S. Cotabato, Sarangani, GenSan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – A total of 28 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, four of them health workers, were recorded in South Cotabato, Sarangani, and this city as localities grappled with the rising number of local transmissions.

At least 19 new cases were detected, as of Friday night, in parts of South Cotabato, eight in this city, and one in Sarangani, based on reports from rural health units and the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen).

Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., chief of the South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office, said Saturday the new infections were either connected to confirmed cases or exposure to areas with recorded local transmission.

The DOH-12 reported 13 confirmed cases in the province as of 6 p.m. Friday, but Aturdido said the number increased to 19 based on additional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results released by the Dr. Arturo P. Pingoy Medical Center in Koronadal City.

He said nine of the patients were from Koronadal City, four of whom were personnel of the City Health Office who were exposed to confirmed cases.

Two other patients, aged 10 years and 12 years, caught the disease from a relative while one had visited the fish port complex here, which is now considered as a COVID-19 “hotspot.”

Aturdido said the four health workers were nurses and pharmacists deployed to Koronadal City under the DOH’s Human Resources for Health program.

“This is now the situation. It’s a huge concern for us since it might eventually affect our health system,” he said in an interview over Brigada News FM in Koronadal City.

Three cases were recorded in Polomolok town, which earlier reported cases of local transmission, and one in Tampakan.

The IPHO was still evaluating the background of six cases.

One of the patients in Polomolok had direct contact with a confirmed case while two cases, one of them a 10-month-old baby, were still under “further investigation.”

The lone case in Tampakan had travel history to the fish port.

Aturdido said they were still waiting for the confirmatory RT-PCR test results of several fish vendors.

Several areas in Koronadal City and other municipalities, he said, were already on lockdown due to the confirmed cases among fish vendors.

In this city, a surveillance report from the DOH-12 said two of the eight new infections were linked to confirmed cases, one had a travel history to Manila, while the exposure of five others was under investigation.

The city government placed portions of Barangay San Isidro and Katangawan under lockdown on Friday due to the emergence of the new infections.

The possible exposure of the lone additional case in Sarangani was also under investigation by health workers.

As of Friday evening, South Cotabato recorded a total of 150 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 81 recoveries, this city with 94 infections and 49 recoveries, and Sarangani with 84 cases and 67 recoveries.