By Tara Yap
Iloilo City—The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed the first COVID-19 death in Western Visayas region..
According to a late Friday afternoon bulletin released by the DOH, the deceased was a 72-year-old male from Iloilo City. He died last March 19, when his test result was still pending. He had travel history to Manila and later developed symptoms including fever and cough.
The DOH bulletin also recorded eight new positive COVID-19 cases in the region for a total of 13, with the oldest patient an 81-year-old and the youngest a 22-year-old.
Of localities in Western Visayas, Bacolod City now has the most number of cases with four. It registered three new cases Friday -- a 40-year-old male and a 75-year-old male, who both traveled to Manila, and a 28-year-old male, the son of the first COVID-19 case in the region who had traveled to London, England.
Iloilo province now has three confirmed COVID-19 cases -- the first was a 65-year-old male, while the two others are a 22-year-old female and a 59-year-old female.
Aklan province recorded Friday its first three confirmed cases—an 81-year-old male, a 68-year-old male, and a 37-year-old male. All three had travel history to areas with COVID-19 cases.
The regional capital, Iloilo City, has two confirmed COVID-19 cases including the region’s first casualty.
Capiz province has one confirmed COVID-19 case, while Antique and Guimaras remain the only provinces with no confirmed cases in Western Visayas.
Meanwhile, as of noon on Thursday (March 26), the region has 276 persons under investigations (PUIs) or those showing symptoms of COVID-19. Of the 276, 127 tested negative while 95 are still admitted in hospitals.