PLANS of reopening some of the establishments in Cagayan de Oro City have been halted as the City Government deals with a possible case of local transmission of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the city.

City Mayor Oscar Moreno during a press conference Friday, April 24, considered this case a set back on the city’s reopening strategy.

“In fact, kagahapon (yesterday), was already contemplating on our reopening strategy. Naa natay (We have a) strategy unta, but we had been set back by this,” he said.

Moreno was referring to the 69-year-old man in Barangay Camaman-an who died on April 18 at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC). Swab results which arrived on Thursday showed the man tested positive for the coronavirus.

Moreno said the man had no known travel history indicating that the case might be a local transmission.

“The idea is to isolate because we’re worried if there is local transmission, how could he have gotten the virus when he had no history of travel? Although naay uban story that points otherwise. So we had to conduct thorough contact tracing, tan-awon asa nakuha kay kung wala tay answer, chances are local transmission,” he said.

Since authorities learned about the case, Mayor Moreno ordered stricter measures in Pinikitan, barangay Camaman-an, which he described as a densely populated area.

“We’ll just have to regroup and address this so we can move forward,” he added.