AT LEAST 15 areas in Eastern Visayas were found to have local transmission of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Department of Health (DOH) in the region said Wednesday, August 12, 2020.
The local cases are in Tacloban City, Palo, Carigara, Tanauan, Barugo, Matag-ob, Ormoc City and Dulag in Leyte; Basey, Villareal, Calbayog City, and Catbalogan City in Samar; Lawaan and Giporlos in Eastern Samar; and Almeria in Biliran.
"Ngunit hindi ito nangangahulugan na malawakan ang transmission of cases at hindi dapat ekonsidera na lahat ng tao na manggagaling sa isang munisipyo na may local cases ay dapat mag-undergo ng quarantine dahil tukoy pa naman ang source o ugat ng infection," DOH-Eastern Visayas said.
According to the health department, a "local case" of Covid-19 means the source of transmission of a case is within the catchment.
"Ang mga nasabing lugar na may local cases ay may mga history ng exposure sa mga nagpositibo sa Covid-19," DOH-Eastern Visayas said.
"Sila ay kasalukuyang naka-quarantine at ang ating mga local government units naman ay kasalukuyang nagpapatupad ng pina-igting na contact tracing at striktong pag-implement ng mga health protocols," it added.
As this developed, Lawaan Mayor Athene Lagrimas-Mendros clarified that they do not have local transmission of Covid-19, referring to the three Covid-19 cases in their town.
"The Rural Health Unit (RHU) through our contact tracing team and the Provincial Health Office (PHO) have confirmed that there is no local transmission in our municipality. Instead, the case of these last three patients can be characterized as hospital transmission," the mayor said
"Despite these, we continue to call on all residents to strictly comply with all of our established health protocols," she added.
According to the mayor, EV-934, also identified as LES-01, was found to be negative while all of her close contacts were all negative.
EV-1117, also known as LES-02, from Barangay Bolusao contracted the virus while being confined at the hospital in Tacloban.
EV-1269 and EV-1270, also identified LES-03 and LES-04, are both caretakers of EV-1117 and contracted the virus while at the hospital.
"All three, EV-1117(LES-02) EV-1269 (LES-03) EV-1270 (LES-04) are presently confined at the same hospital. None of these three have contact with any residents of Lawaan, Eastern Samar," the mayor said in a statement Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the regional health department said that of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in Eastern Visayas, 1,167 (86.56 percent) are asymptomatic, 189 (13.86 percent) are mild, and eight (0.59 percent) are severe cases.
A total of 69 cases are also being hospitalized.
Majority of the cases in the region are locally stranded individuals (LSIs), with 614 (45 percent) cases coming from outside Eastern Visayas.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the region has a total of 1,363 Covid-19 cases, with 927 (68.01 percent) recoveries and 432 (34.40 percent) active cases.
The active cases are under quarantine in community isolation units or temporary treatment and monitoring facilities while the others are admitted in the hospitals.
Of the total number of cases, 614 (45.05 percent) are from Leyte; 299 (21.94 percent), Samar; 169 (12.40 percent), Southern Leyte; 79 (5.80 percent), Tacloban City and Ormoc City; 60 (4.40 percent), Biliran; 46 (3.37 percent), Northern Samar; and 17 (1.25 percent), Eastern Samar. (SunStar Philippines)