OLONGAPO CITY (PNA) – Another senior citizen here died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the total number of deaths to 19, the local task force reported on Thursday.
Based on the report of the Olongapo Covid-19 Task Force, the 19th fatality was an 81-year-old man from Barangay Sta. Rita.
The task force said the patient died September 24 in a government hospital, seven days after his positive swab test result came out.
Aside from the fatality, there were 24 new infections cases reported, raising the total number of cases to 473, with 215 on active status.
The task force, led by Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr., said most of the new infections were largely due to local transmission.
These included a family of three from Barangay Barreto wherein a 69-year-old father, 60-year-old mother and their 42-year-old daughter were infected with the dreaded disease.
On the other hand, the task force reported that 19 patients have recovered from the disease upon completion of strict isolation, raising the total number of recoveries to 239.
“Let us pray for the full recovery of all COVID-19 patients,” Paulino said in a statement as he reiterated his appeal to the residents to strictly observe the security and health protocols.
Meanwhile, the city government will appeal to the Department of Education (DepEd) to extend the permission given by the local inter-agency task force (AITF) for the temporary use of public schools as isolation facilities for suspected and probable cases of COVID-19.
The mayor said they will ask the DepEd to give the IATF more time to use the classrooms or until face to face classes resume.