By Freddie Lazaro VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson has confirmed that a local resident had tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a press briefing on Saturday, Singson said that the patient was a 55-year-old female who was initially brought to the Ilocos Sur District Hospital-Tagudin on March 21 due to loss of consciousness. The patiend is a resident of Barangay Magsaysay in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. The patient was later transported to the province of La Union, and was admitted at the Bethany Hospital. The patient had a swab test on March 22. On March 28, authorities and health officials received the confirmation that the patient was positive for COVID 19. Singson said the family denied that the patient had developed symptoms when her medical history was being taken. But, when the local health authorities probed further, they discovered that the patient began exhibiting symptoms such as coughing, a cold, and intermittent fever since March 18. Known exposure is traceable to her own son who arrived from the United States on March 8, apparently with fever, body pains and sore throat. To ensure the prevention of spread of the virus, Singson ordered that Barangay Magsaysay, where the patient resides, be placed under extreme enhanced community quarantine or in total lockdown. An extreme enhanced community quarantine prevents anyone from entering and leaving the barangay. He said that an extensive contact tracing was also on-going to identify those who may have had contact with the patient. As of March 28, the Ilocos Sur Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EREID) for COVID-19 reported that the province has listed seven patients under investigation (PUIs) and 10,385 persons under monitoring (PUMs).