Zamboanga naval base under lockdown as 6 Marines infected with COVID-19
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- At least six Marine troopers tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which prompted a naval base facility in Zamboanga City to impose a cluster lockdown, an official said Friday.
The troopers, who belonged with the Combat Service Support Brigade of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), were among the latest persons infected with the deadly virus in the city aside from the additional 17 newly confirmed cases released by the local inter-agency task force Thursday afternoon.
Maj. Arvin John Encinas, spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the six troopers have no travel history as they were only based inside the naval base of Romulo Espaldon Station.
“It’s local transmission because the six soldiers have no travel history. Most probably (they contracted the virus) in Zamboanga City because one of them usually goes out being the mess sergeant,” Encinas said.
Four of the infected troopers who were asymptomatic were placed inside the Westmincom camp quarantine facility while the two others were admitted at West Metro Medical Center.
“But all of them are in stable condition,” Encinas said.
The military official said contact tracing has been on going inside the NFWM to determine who will be placed for swab testing.
“Contact tracing is ongoing to identify as to who will be prioritized for testing while the area was already placed on lockdown,” Encinas said.
Meanwhile, at least 17 newly confirmed cases were also recorded in this city that brought the list of total COVID-19 positive to 546 cases with 263 active cases and 267 recoveries while mortality remained at 16 persons.
The IATF said of the 17 latest cases, at least six were contracted in the local community, six locally stranded individuals and five were returning overseas Filipinos.
Zamboanga City is the lone area in Mindanao that will remain under general community quarantine until August 15. The rest of Mindanao will be under modified GCQ.
Follow this thread for updates from Zamboanga City and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has designated the commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division as chief of the military Western Mindanao Command.
WestMinCom’s headquarters is in Calarian, Zamboanga City.
Copies of the designation of Major Gen. Roy Galido, member of the Class 1990 of the Philippine Military Academy, circulated in the media community in Cotabato City on Friday afternoon. -- The STAR/John Unson
Residents of the historic Sacol Island now have -- for the first time ever --- a telecommunications facility that connects them to the outside world.
Sacol is in between the territorial seas of Zamboanga City and the island province of Basilan in the Bangsamoro autonomous region.
Gerry Salapuddin, administrator of the Southern Philippines Authority, tells reporters here Saturday he and other government officials inaugurated last October 8 the telecommunications tower in Sacol Island, something villagers in its four barangays had long wished for. — AFP
Government security forces seized an estimated P4.2-million worth of smuggled cigarettes in two separate operations Saturday in Zamboanga del Sur and Basilan, according to officials.
The bulk of the apprehension was conducted by the personnel of the Coastguard Station of Basilan when it intercepted a motorized outrigger loaded with an estimated P3.2-million worth of smuggled cigarettes in the waters near Hadji Muhtamad town.
The PCG Southwestern District reported the Basilan coastguard personnel were on patrol to ensure the safety of fishermen and seafarers cruising the waters near Basilan due to rough seas spawned by tropical storm Karding when they spotted the motorized outrigger about 3:30p.m while passing area. -- The STAR/ Roel Pareño
The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) gives sendoff honor to the remaining marine troops in Zamboanga City Friday, completing the pullout of the marine forces in Sulu province after six years of battling the terror Abu Sayyaf group and leaving peace and stability.
The remaining forces of the 4th Marine Brigade and Marine Battalion Landing Team 8 (MBLT), composed of officers, enlisted personnel and its elite team of Marine Force Recon, were transported via the navy’s Tarlac-Class Landing Dock 602 BRP Davao del Sur following a military sendoff rite tendered by the NFWM at the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) pier here.
Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., NFWM commander, says the redeployment of the marines to northern Luzon is part of the requirement of national security for territorial and internal defense operations. — The STAR/Roel Pareño
A police official says they have seized P1.1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes two men were to deliver to a buyer in Labangan town in Zamboanga del Sur Thursday.
Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-9 also arrested Adsar Modapil Buhari, 29, while unloading from a vehicle 34 boxes of Indonesian-made San Marino cigarettes in Purok Gutob in Barangay Old Labangan in Labangan town.
Lt. Col. Cyrus Belarmino of CIDG-9 says the operation that resulted in the prompt interception of the smuggled cigarettes was premised on tips by vigilant residents of Labangan municipality. — The STAR/John Unson
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