BUTUAN CITY - The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) reported on Friday the 27th coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related death in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region.
The latest death involved a 72-year-old male with hypertension, diabetic and chronic kidney disease, who experienced fever, cough and body weakness on September 8. He was admitted September 10, and expired on September 17.
The DOH-CHD also reported additional 26 new confirmed cases following receipt of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmatory results from the GeneXpert Reference Laboratory of Butuan Medical Center and Southern Philippines Medical Center.
The new 26 positive cases were all from Butuan City. Eight were new local transmission cases, five close contacts of previously confirmed cases, 12 health workers and one frontliner.
As to the medical status of patients, 11 were asymptomatic, 13 had mild symptoms and two weresevere.
The DOH-CHD Caraga said the asymptomatic cases were strictly being monitored following quarantine protocols, while the symptomatic patients were admitted and managed accordingly.
To date, Caraga region has a total of 902 COVID-19 cases, with 396 active cases, 479 recoveries and 27 deaths.
The agency also took note of the increased local transmission cases in this city for the past weeks.
With this continuous rise of positive cases in this region’s premier and capital city of Butuan, the regional official of DOH 13 urged Butuanons to strictly follow the minimum health standards, particularly in areas with a high number of local transmissions.
“We request the community to please follow all health protocols to stop the spread of the virus,” DOH 13 Regional Director Dr. Jose R. Llacuna, Jr. said.
“When there is a need to go out for work or buy essentials, observe physical distancing, wear your masks and regularly wash hands, and we must practice these basic but significant habits for infection control, the region’s health chief added.