By Marie Tonette Marticio
TACLOBAN City - The Department of Health in Region 8 (DOH-8) confirmed Tuesday, April 7, the local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID -19) with the confirmation of two new cases in Eastern Visayas.
Both were female patients from Tarangnan, Samar who had close contact with the second COVID-19 patient from Calbayog City.
DOH-8 Regional Director Dr. Minerva Molon said two out of 35 samples sent last Friday to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) testing laboratory turned out positive of the virus bringing the total COVID-19 cases in the region to five with one recovery.
"As of last night, the two new patients are improving, they are up and about, but considering that we want to contain the spread of the virus that is why we are transferring them to our referral hospital today," she said.
The official has advised the local chief executive of Tarangnan to strictly enforce the enhanced community quarantine, encouraging those who have had contact with the hospital staff who turned out as COVID patients to cooperate with the contact tracing being conducted by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.
Meanwhile, Molon also announced that the patient under investigation (PUI) from Tacloban City who died last week tested negative in his confirmatory test.