By Glazyl Masculino
BACOLOD CITY - The province of Negros Oriental has reported 11 more persons under investigation (PUIs), and 4 more persons under monitoring (PUMs) for suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affliction, as of March 13.
Bimbo Miraflor, public information officer of the provincial government, in a statement, said that these PUIs included - four from Tayasan town and four nurses who had close contact with the town's councilor who was tested positive for COVID-19.
Of the four PUIs in Tayasan town, two were isolated in Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, one at the in GWBVMH in Guihulngan City, and one in Bindoy District Hospital.
Miraflor said that these persons exhibited COVID-19 symptoms like fever and cough.
The four nurses were also isolated at Ace Doctor's Hospital after they manifested flu-like symptoms like sore throat and cough, he added.
Miraflor also said that two Filipino individuals with history of travel in Spain and Thailand have manifested symptoms like fever and body malaise.
One of them is confined at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH), while the other one is on home quarantine, he added.
Miraflor said that another PUI is also on home quarantine in Dumaguete City.
Swab specimens from all the PUIS have already been sent to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM), he said.
He said the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU) team, with the Tayasan Municipal Health Unit, is undertaking full-blown contact tracing in the town, following a reported positive case of the viral disease.
He also said that all the PUMs had travel history outside the country.
He said that the province now has a total of 14 PUIs and 24 PUMs.
Meanwhile, Governor Roel Degamo said the local government will strengthen its measures to protect the people of Negros Oriental against COVID-19.
He urged them to remain calm and be vigilant about the disease.