by Lorelyn Centino
A resident from Abra tested positive for COVID-19, governor Jocelyn Bernos confirmed on Saturday, March 14 via live interview on Facebook. It is the first COVID-19 case to be recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The patient is a 39-year-old Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) and a resident of Catacdegan Nuevo, Manabo who just came back from the United Arab Emirates on March 8.
According to Bernos, the patient has travel history in three municipalities in Abra namely: Manabo, Sallapadan and Licuan-Baay. He also traveled to San Fernando, La Union to visit his mother at Lorma Hospital.
Upon his arrival, he was reported to have attended a grand parade in Bangued, Abra on March 9, and a burial at Licuan-Baay on March 13. At present, he is quarantined at his hometown in Manabo with a medical staff and police officers. He will soon be transferred to a level 2 hospital as part of the protocol.
Before he arrived in the province, he was already a Person Under Investigation (PUI) and was advised to undergo the 14-day self-quarantine but he did not inform any barangay official.
The entire barangay of Catacdegan Nuevo, Manabo is now placed under quarantine which means that all residents are strictly advised to stay at home.
"Makaammo iti LGU iti municipality ti Manabo nga agsimpa wenno mangmanage kanya yu nu anya it agkurang nga supplies iti amin nga balbalay iti Catacdegan Nuevo," Bernos said.
[The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Manabo will be in-charge in managing you and in providing supplies for every house in Catacdegan Nuevo.]
The provincial task force also released an executive order to impose a province-wide curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Violators will be detained in police stations with the exception of medical workers, uniformed police and military officers and members of the provincial task force in different barangays.
Contact tracing of people the patient has interacted with is also being conducted.
Edited by Dayanella Jucutan