Tarlac governor declares lockdown after two confirmed COVID-19 cases, 9 PUI deaths
By Franco Regala
TARLAC CITY, Tarlac — Governor Susan Yap has declared a lockdown in her province starting this Sunday (March 29) at 12:01 a.m. after two patients tested positive for COVID-19 and nine persons under investigation (PUIs) died ahead of their test results.
In her message to Tarlaqueños online, Yap said the two confirmed cases are a 75-year-old woman from Barangay Patalan in Paniqui town and a 39-year-old male from Bgy. Pinasling, Gerona town.
As of March 26, the provincial government recorded 17, 040 persons under monitoring (PUMs), 174 PUIs (mild), and 39 PUIs (severe). It is also still awaiting 25 results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
“Seryosohin po natin ang virus na ito. Out of 1.4 million Tarlaqueños na nakatira dito, tandaan iilan lang po ang ating frontline health workers. Tayo po ay makipag-cooperate, sumunod sa alituntunin ng ating pamahalaan para po ligtas ang karamihan,” the governor said.
(Let us take this virus seriously. Out of the 1.4 million Tarlaqueños who live here, remember that our frontline health workers are few. Let us cooperate and obey the guidelines of our government so that many will be safe.)
She said guidelines for the declaration of the lockdown will be distributed to municipality and city mayors on Friday (March 27).
Tarlac is the second province in Central Luzon to go on lockdown amid the COVID-19 threat. Aurora province, and Jaen town in Nueva Ecija were also earlier placed under total lockdown to contain the spread of the disease.
Other provinces in the region such as Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija are under enhanced community quarantine.