NORTHERN Mindanao remains to be one of the regions in the country with zero patients under investigation (PUI) for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as of Monday, March 9.
Dr. Ian Gonzales, the Department of Health (DOH) Infectious Diseases Cluster head, said the latest PUI in the region was a Filipino who was admitted at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) but tested negative for the new virus. The patient was discharged on Monday, March 9.
Since the start of the Covid-19 monitoring in the Philippines, the DOH-Northern Mindanao recorded a total of 17 PUIs who were all tested negative.
Previously, Gonzales said the reason there is a lower number of PUIs recorded in Northern Mindanao is due to the region not having an international airport.
Since Friday, March 6, the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 increased from 3 to 10, as of March 8. Ten new cases were reported Monday, bringing the total to 20.
City Health Officer-in-Charge Dr. Lorraine Nery said the fifth confirmed case of Covid-19 is the first case of local transmission in the country.
It involved a 62-year-old male Filipino with known hypertension and diabetes mellitus, who experienced cough with phlegm last February 25. He has no known history of travel outside the country. His wife also tested positive for Covid-19, making her the sixth case.
"Local transmission means that someone caught the disease within the country, but the source of infection is still traceable to known contacts," Gonzales said.
"As of now, we are still at local transmission, which means it can still be controlled via contact tracing and quarantine. If we progress to sustained community transmission, more drastic measures such as school closures and other means will be considered," he added.
Sustained community transmission, Gonzales said, means the source of infection could no longer be traced to a specific contact due to the number of cases.
With the increase in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 and the emergence of local transmission, Gonzales is still reminding the public to practice "Hands": Hand washing regularly; Avoid crowds; Never cough without a tissue or handkerchief; Do wear a mask only if sick or in healthcare settings; and Seek early consultation.
"The general preventive measures still hold because the virus itself did not change. Covid-19 is transmitted via droplet, not airborne. Therefore the danger is contact with sick people or contaminated surfaces. 'Hands' still apply," Gonzales said.
Meanwhile, asked about his reaction to Senator Panfilo Lacson's statement that the DOH "may be underreporting" the number of coronavirus cases, Gonzales said the health department's data are "open and regularly being disclosed" to the public through press conferences and other interactions with the media, local governments and legislators.