MAYOR Arnel Tan of Tarangnan, Samar is asking for God's help in defeating the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as six new cases were reported in his town on Monday, April 27.
"Tama na Lord. We need your intervention right now," wrote Tan on Facebook, as he lamented over the rising number of infected persons in his fourth-class municipality.
The mayor immediately declared a total lockdown in Tarangnan, which is some three hours away from the regional capital Tacloban City.
Dr. Minerva Molon, director of Department of Health (DOH)-Eastern Visayas, tagged the six new cases from Tarangnan as patient EV 8 to patient EV 13.
She identified patient EV 8 as a 28-year-old male; patient EV 9, a 45-year-old female; patient EV 10, a 29-year-old female; patient EV 11, a 72-year-old female; patient EV 12, a 27-year-old male; patient EV 13, a 30-year-old male.
Four were close contacts, while two were coworkers of the earlier patient in Tarangnan.
Their specimens were part of the 132 samples sent to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City last April 24.
"All new confirmed cases except patient EV 11 will be admitted and isolated to Tarangnan Community Hospital," said Molon.
Patient EV 11 will be brought to Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (Evrmc) in Magsaysay Boulevard, Tacloban "because she belongs to vulnerable group and needs tertiary care."
"Arrangement has already been raised to the Provincial Government of Samar in the use of Tarangnan Community Hospital as the isolation facility of the new confirmed cases in their locality since the category of the patients are mild, asymptomatic and does not belong to vulnerable groups," Molon said.
As of Monday, April 27, there have been a total 13 confirmed cases recorded in Eastern Visayas.
Meanwhile, Molon confirmed that the third sample taken from patient EV 2 from Calbayog City was negative for Covid-19.
"He has already completed his 14-day home quarantine observation after being discharged. He is now fully recovered. He may now reintegrate into the community," she said.
Molon also thanked the public for the personal protective equipment, swab booths, face masks, and Wi-Fi routers donated to their office as they battle the health crisis. (SunStar Philippines)