By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO ORIENTAL - The two residents of Mati City, who were the first patients to have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) more than a week ago, are now cleared of the virus.
This was the good news revealed by Mati City IMT COVID-19 commander Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr. on Friday, April 3, exactly a week after their confirmatory test result came out.
Catbagan said that after a repeat swab on PH1514 and PH1516, the two have already tested negative.
"This means that the two can now be released from the Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City where they were admitted for the past week now," Catbagan said.
Catbagan said that the two will, however, be under strict home quarantine for another 14 days as protocol of the Department of Health (DOH).
Patient #3, meanwhile, was also reported to be in good and stable condition at the moment, and was still under home quarantine for more than two weeks now since she has been asymptomatic, Catbagan said.
He added that the DRMC also requested that Patient#3 stay under home quarantine instead of being transported to DRMC so that their hospital staff could be assigned to other patients with severe symptoms.
Catbagan thanked the positive patients for their cooperation with the health authorities in controlling the spread of the infection within their family and contacts.
Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, on the other hand, thanked the DRMC for taking care of the Mati patients as well as the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams for their continued service since they were activated early February.