By Armando Fenequito Jr. DAVAO CITY – A student, who had been stranded here due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine, but repatriated to Cotabato City as recipient of the “Balik Bahay” program, was found to be positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) upon return to his hometown. This was confirmed by Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi in her Facebook Live post on Sunday afternoon. Guiani-Sayadi said the patient was included in second batch of students which was fetched here after being stranded due to the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). “I would like to inform the public that we are intensifying our contract tracing and isolation of this COVID-19 positive ,” she said. “Hinihiling ko po ang pang-unawa ng lahat ng mga Cotabateños na sa pagkakataong ito dapat sana mag-cooperate kayo sa local government para mas mapaigting natin ang mga medical protocols (I am appealing for the understanding of all Cotabateños that at this point they should extend their cooperation to the local government so that we can intensify our medical protocols),” she added. Cotabato City Health Officer Dr. Meyasser Patadon identified the infected patient as an 18-year-old male. Patadon said the patient was among the 39 stranded students, who came from Davao City and were immediately subjected to rapid testing . He said of the 39, four were found positive. Swab samples were immediately taken from them before they were taken to an isolation facility. “At ngayong araw nga sabi ni Mayora doon sa apat na nag-positive sa rapid testing ay confirmed positive (This day as what the Mayor said, of the four who found positive on the rapid test, the said student was confirmed positive),” he said. Patadon said the stranded student was the eighth COVID-19 case in Cotabato city, but he remained in good condition. “Walang karamdaman, walang lagnat, walang ubo, sipon o hirap sa paghinga (He has no illnesses, no fever, no cough, colds or even breathing difficulty),” he said. The City Health Officer said the patient will be undergo swab testing after 14 days of isolation. He said the patient will immediately be released if found negative on the second round of swab test.