MABALACAT CITY -- The local government has logged two new Covid-19 cases, the City Health Office (CHO) stated in its August 4, 2020 bulletin.
The 16th patient is a 45-year-old female and a resident of Barangay Mabiga. She was exposed to a Covid-19 patient in another city.
The CHO disclosed that the patient and all persons she had associated with were transported to the Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital in Guagua town for assessment.
"Currently, the patient is still isolated and being treated in a Covid-19 health facility. All her direct contacts were tested with RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and had negative results," the CHO stated.
The 17th patient, on the other hand, was a 17-year-old male from Barangay Tabun here. He was reportedly infected by a patient who also resides in said village.
The CHO apologized to the residents in the city for the delayed posting of Covid-19 cases on its Facebook page.
"We beg for your indulgence for the late posting of our Covid-19 confirmed positive cases in the Mabalacat City News FB page and health advisories. This is due to the fact that we are in close coordination with the PESU (Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Units) and RESU (Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit)," the CHO said.
"We are awaiting for their final evaluation and posting of the confirmed cases. Rest assured that as soon as we are informed of a confirmed Covid-19 positive case, we immediately inform the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team, refer the patient to an isolation facility, conduct contact tracing and refer their direct contacts for RT-PCR testing and isolation."
Of the 17 patients, 13 had fully recovered and four are under treatment and quarantine.
Mayor Cris Garbo appealed to his constituents to observe minimum health standards being implemented by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the city.