BUTUAN CITY - Caraga region has recorded 23 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in its Friday night report.

The 23 new recorded COVID-19 cases in Caraga region were all returning residents, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and locally stranded individuals (LSIs).

Caraga residents returning from Metro Manila, Cebu and overseas have tested positive for the COVID-19 as the number of infections in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region rose to 161 as of Friday night (July 3), the DOH-CHD said.

“DOH Caraga confirms today (July 3), 219 RT-PCR results received from Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and Davao regional Medical center sub-national laboratories,” it said.

Of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results received, 169 tested negative while 50 turned out positive for the coronavirus.

The negative RT-PCR results were from 11 follow-up tests of previously confirmed cases, 11 suspected cases, four probable cases, and the results coming from high risk individuals who either have turned positive in the Rapid Antibody-based Test or with relevant travel and exposure of COVID-19.

As reported, 50 samples were RT-PCR confirmed positive for COVID-19, 27 of which were follow-up tests of previously confirmed cases, and 23 new cases.

Of the 23 new cases, 65.22 percent (15) were LSIs while 34.78 percent (8) were ROFs. As to sex distributions, 56.52 percent (13) were females whereas 43.48% (10) were males.

For age group, 56.52 percent were 20-30 years old, it also said.

Cases were distributed in the following areas: Butuan City (2), municipalities in Agusan del Norte – Buenavista (1), Carmen (1), Nasipit (1), RTR (2), Bayugan City (1), municipalities in Agusan del Sur – Rosario (3), Veruela (1), municipalities in Surigao del Norte – Bacuag (1), Mainit (2), Placer (3), Sison (1), Tubod (1), Bislig City (1), and municipalities of Surigao del Sir – Cantilan (1), San Miguel (1).

To date, the region’s premier and capital city of Butuan has already 36 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

All cases were asymptomatic, and were admitted and isolated at designated quarantine health facilities region-wide for closely monitoring and management.

With this spike of COVID-19 cases in Caraga region, health authorities reiterated anew their call to strictly abide all the health protocols to avert the spread of the deadly virus.

“This pandemic crisis has become the reason for us to be more aggressive in our efforts in reducing further spread of the virus to more people. Let us continue practicing the minimum health standards to cease and intercept local transmission,” said. DOH 13 Assistant Regional Director lll Dr. Rodolfo Antonio M. Albornoz, on Friday night.

“The DOH is not alone in this battle. Line agencies, local chief executives and frontliners are in the forefront and are united in the implementation of the COVID-19 preventive and control measures,” he added

The national government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IAFT) recently suspended the return of the LSIs and ROFs to the region due to the rising number of its COVID-19 cases.