BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) eported on Tuesday night the 10th coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related death in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region.

The DOH-CHD also reported additional confirmed cases following receipt of 33 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmatory results from the GeneXpert Reference Laboratory of Butuan Medical Center and Southern Philippines Medical Center. The results received revealed that 20 tested negative and 13 were positive for the virus.

Of the 13 positive cases, seven were close contacts of previously confirmed local transmission cases, four were additional local transmission cases, and two were locally stranded individuals (LSIs).

Six belonged to the 20-40 years old age group, the youngest was 13 years old, and the oldest 61.

The new confirmed cases were distributed in the following areas: Butuan City (11), Rosario, Agusan del Sur (1) and Tago, Surigao del Sur (1).

The cases in Butuan City were residents from the following barangays: Villa Kananga (4), San Vicente (3), Doongan (2), Holy Redeemer (1) and San Ignacio (1).

As to the medical status of patients, eight had mild symptoms, while five were asymptomatic.

The DOH-CHD Caraga said the asymptomatic cases were strictly being monitored following quarantine protocols, while the symptomatic patients were admitted and managed accordingly.

To date, COVID-19 confirmed positive cases in Caraga region now totals to 537 with 65 percent (349), 33 percent (178) active cases, of which wherein 61 percent (109) were asymptomatic, 36 percent (65) were mild to moderate, two percent (4) were severe; and 2 percent (10) resulted in death.

The 10th death was an 80-year-old female, hypertensive, from Baan Riverside, Butuan City who had onset of COVID-19 related symptoms on August 24. The patient was admitted in a private hospital on August 25 for intensive care management. However, on August 30, 2020, the patient succumbed to complications and died, the DOH-CHD Caraga Region 13 said.

Meanwhile, data from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit shows that Butuan City has a total of eight COVID-19 confirmed related deaths as of this writing. This clarified the earlier reports of 33 suspect deaths. The said cases already had negative RT-PCR test results thus eliminating them as COVID-19 related deaths, DOH-CHD Caraga said.

The regional official of DOH 13 urged community to seek only information to concerned line agencies of the government.

“We request the community to clarify any information on COVID-19 to avoid confusion,” DOH 13 Regional Director Dr. Jose R. Llacuna, Jr. said.

“Likewise, we remind everyone to follow the minimum health standards,” he said.

“When there is a need to go out for work or buy essentials, observe physical distancing, wear your masks and regularly wash hands, and we must practice these basic but significant habits for infection control, the region’s health chief said.

“On the other hand, Butuan Medical Center-Molecular Laboratory is now fully operational and accredited as one of the sub-national laboratories to process RT-PCR confirmatory tests for the COVID-19 virus. We are grateful to our neighboring regions for accommodating us since the start of this health crisis,” Llacuna added.