ANOTHER health worker became the latest Covid-19 patient in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) as the number of confirmed cases has reached 25.
The 22–year–old female resident of La Trinidad, Benguet who works as a nurse at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) tested positive for the virus Tuesday, April 21.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong of Baguio City said appropriate measures are now being undertaken by authorities to facilitate contact tracing, quarantine, disinfection and medical interventions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The patient is the second nurse from BGHMC to be afflicted with the disease.
Dr. Rowena Galpo of the Baguio City Health Services Office said the nurse is currently being treated at BGHMC while an aggressive contact tracing procedure is now being done by the health department.
Following the additional case, Department of Health (DOH)-CAR Director Dr. Amelita Pangilinan said they are now looking at the conduct of the mass testing at the later part of April to be able to identify possible infected patients of Covid-19.
“In CAR, the start of the expanded mass testing will start on April 27 to May 1. I have seen the micro plans through the first week of May, the local government units in the region have started their planning stage on April 20 to 25,” Pangilinan said.
Of the 25 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the region, 17 have already recovered while one died.
DOH-CAR said the region has a case fatality rate of four percent and recovery rate of 70 percent, while the 25 percent are in stable condition based on their April 20 medical health records.
On the availability of test kits, Pangilinan said around 3,000 test kits will be delivered to all DOH identified sub-national hospitals for Covid–19 laboratory testing.
“This coming April 22 to 23, another supplier will be delivering to BGHMC to which their staff will undergo training and so far we are coping with the logistical requirements. We actually are blessed that more donations are coming and more procurement we requested since January are bit-by-bit coming in for PPEs (personal protective equipment) our priority is in Baguio City, Benguet and Abra which have recorded the cases of the coronavirus,” Pangilinan added.
Meanwhile, the City Government started receiving returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to Baguio City and Benguet Province at the quarantine center in Teachers Camp.
“At the moment we have received 18 returning OFWs at Teachers Camp. Thirteen are residents of Baguio while four are from Benguet and one from Mountain Province who will undergo the 14-day quarantine procedures and if they show a negative result, then they will be released provided they still undergo with the home quarantine procedures,” Galpo added.