5 kids test positive for COVID in Luzon

MANILA, Philippines — Five children are among those recently infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Bataan, Bulacan and Olongapo City.

A six-year-old girl from Abucay, a three-year-old boy from Balanga City and a one-year-old boy from Orani are among six persons who tested positive for the virus in Bataan, Gov. Albert Garcia reported yesterday.

The number of confirmed cases in Bataan is now 107. Five deaths were recorded on Tuesday.

Only Morong town remains COVID-free.

In Bulacan, an eight-year-old girl from Sta. Maria is one of those who was found positive for COVID-19 on  Tuesday. The other patient is a 64-year-old woman from Bocaue.

The provincial health office said five other patients have recovered.

In Olongapo City, Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. said  an eight-month-old girl is the city’s youngest and 10th confirmed case.

Paulino said the baby is in stable condition.

The other patient is a 29-year-old female health worker.

There are now 11 confirmed cases in Olongapo City.

In Zambales, a 32-year-old woman from San Narciso town, a 55-year-old man from Iba and a 56-year-old woman from Botolan, were found positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

The patients are confined at the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital.

A doctor and three nurses at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center who have recovered from the disease had reported for duty at the hospital’s COVID ward, CVMC head Glenn Matthew Baggao said.

Baggao said  another doctor and a nurse found positive for the virus are in stable condition.

Don’t come home yet

Meanwhile, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba appealed to his stranded provincemates to delay their return home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Mamba said the provincial government is not yet ready to accommodate returning residents given the limited quarantine facilities in the province.

“Gusto natin silang pauwiin ngunit magiging delikado ang lagay natin lalo na ngayon at nasa GCQ (general community quarantine) na tayo at unti-unti ng nakakalabas ang ating mamamayan,” he said.

Mamba noted that around 18,000 residents of Cagayan returned to the province before Luzon was placed under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

In Isabela, 84 returning residents quarantined in health facilities in Ilagan City tested negative for the virus. Eight students of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños are among them.

Isolation facilities

The Department of Health-Zamboanga peninsula regional office stressed the need to put up more isolation facilities as it conducts mass testing.

“Once we do mass testing and identify positive cases, we can isolate them in these facilities. We call on local chief executives to ensure that we have a bed capacity for one percent of the population,” Joshua Brillantes, DOH assistant regional director, said.

Brillantes said putting up isolation facilities is among the criteria for a shift from ECQ to GCQ.

He said five laboratories would be opened in the region.- Raymund Catindig, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Bebot Sison Jr., Roel Pareño