By Marie Tonette Marticio TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health in Region 8 (DOH-8) expressed alarm over the abrupt surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Eastern Visayas with nineteen (19) cases recorded in a day Tuesday (June 9). DOH-* Director Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 said that, although it was just a matter of time that an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases would happen because the region has started opening its gates under the national program for returning residents, they hoped that the surge of cases would not be so sudden. "We can say that it is alarming because two or three weeks ago we were just focused in one place, which was Tarangnan, Samar with documented community transmission. These are from outside the region so had we not been prepared, we can really say that it is alarming but the good thing is that our local government units (LGUs) are following the protocols," she lamented. Molon stressed the importance of coordination, and continued collaboration of the different agencies concerned. But the health official has assured the public that the recent reported cases of COVID-19 were not locally transmitted. "Upon the arrival of these patients in the region and in their localities, they were immediately quarantined so that they will have no chance to be in contact with the general public. They are already being watched by their respective LGUs," she shared. All but one patient were locally stranded individuals (LSIs). Only one was a beneficiary of the Balik Probinsiya Program (BPP). Of these cases, seven were from Metro Manila, while the rest were from Cebu. Five of them were senior citizens, aged 60 to 73 years old. She added that six patients from San Isidro, Northern Samar were on board a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) last May 28. All of them were fetched from the city, and were directly brought to the isolation facility of San Isidro town. Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan has requested that swab tests be administered on them on June 7, following their exposure to Patient EV 38 from Jaro, Leyte. Eastern Visayas has a total of 72 cases, of which Samar province has the most number of cases at 33, with 30 from Tarangnan, Samar. Leyte has 23 cases, with 20 coming from BPP, Hatid-Probinsiya, and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), seven from Northern Samar; six from Ormoc City; two from Tacloban City; and one from Biliran province. Meanwhile, the provinces of Eastern Samar and Southern Leyte have remained free from infection of the dreaded virus. Eastern Visayas has reported 47 percent recovery with 38 active cases and 34 recoveries.