THE Department of Health (DOH) said Friday, February 14, that Central Luzon has had 288 persons placed under monitoring (PUM) and 51 patients under investigation (PUI) for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
DOH-Central Luzon epidemiologist Dr. Jesse Fantone said Pampanga has the most number of PUIs, with 16 persons who exhibited fever, cold, and cough. These PUIs have traveled to China recently.
He said Tarlac has 13 PUIs, while Tarlac has 13, Bulacan has 10, Bataan has seven, Nueva Ecija has five and Zambales has two.
Fantone noted that of the total number of PUIs, 26 have been discharged, 19 have been admitted to hospitals, and eight are still awaiting accommodation in qualified hospitals.
He also said that Tarlac has the most number of PUMs, at 86. These PUMs are not exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 but have to be monitored by the DOH after their recent travel to China.
Fantone said that Bataan has 73 PUMs, Nueva Ecija has 45, Pampanga has 28, Bulacan has 24, Aurora has 22, and Zambales has 10.
He cited laboratory results on the PUMs showing 30 negative cases while 12 still await laboratory results, and 11 are still up for specimen collection.
Of the negative cases, 10 are in Pampanga, seven in Tarlac, four each in Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, and one in Zambales.
Meanwhile, the office of Mabalacat City Mayor Cris Garbo said plans to hold the Caragan Festival, an annual event honoring a pioneering Aeta chieftain of the city, has been deferred to March as a measure against Covid-19.
The festival, which is usually participated in by thousands and lures an even greater number of watchers, was initially slated on February 21. (Ding Cervantes/SunStar Pampanga)