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.
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“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.