TWO more Covid-19 patients have died, officials said Sunday, March 15 although the Department of Health (DOH) has yet to release an official statement.
The Negros Oriental Covid-19 Task Force, in a social media post, said Patient 39 (PH39) expired at 11:09 a.m. Sunday due to complications.
The 62-year-old male from the town of Tayasan in Negros Oriental was an immunocompromised patient, the task force said. He had undergone a kidney transplant.
Another Covid-19 patient, an employee of the House of Representatives printing services office, died around nine hours earlier, at 1:45 a.m., according to PBA Party-list Representative Jericho Nograles.
“Sad news. The HRep employee who was positive with Covid-19 passed away earlier today at 1:45AM,” Nograles said in a statement.
"Nalulungkot ang buong Kamara de Representantes. At the same time, nababahala din kami at kinakabahan din kami kung sino ba ang kaniyang mga nakausap," he added in a radio interview.
Following this, Nograles called on the House leadership to conduct contact tracing to identify those who might have had direct contact with the patient so they could be placed under quarantine.
"'Yung importante dito ay dapat maisagawa na ang contact tracing at sana ang House of Representatives ay maging transparent dito para maging example naman ito sa lahat ng mga kompanya," he said.
"Ito ay kasama sa panawagan ng Pangulo na dapat transparent tayo at dapat aware tayo, at 'yung mga proper protocols and community quarantine guidelines ay masusunod. Ginagawa ko 'yung aking part na ini-inform ko mga kapwa ko kongresista, mga members of the press, lahat, na ito 'yung pangyayari," he added.
As of Saturday, the DOH recorded eight mortalities and 111 cases.
The House leadership earlier conducted intensive cleaning and disinfection in its premises. Work has been suspended until April 12. (SunStar Philippines)