A sign announces the temporary closure of the People’s Park in Davao City on 16 March 2020. Under the community quarantine guidelines of Davao City all public parks and playgrounds are closed to discourage the gathering of people and prevent possible COVID-19 infection. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 March) – Three patients in Davao Region, who had been isolated after being identified as persons under investigation (PUIs) for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), died while waiting for the results of their tests from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila.
In a report released Thursday, the Department of Health-Davao Region said the three fatalities were among the 54 PUIs confined as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City and Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City.
At least 31 PUIs have been discharged as of Wednesday, according to DOH-Davao.
The DOH-Davao did not disclose where the three patients were admitted.
But DRMC and SPMC, both government-run, are the only hospitals authorized by the agency to handle COVID-19 patients and PUIs.
The agency said the number of persons under monitoring (PUMs) has soared to 3,960. Of this number, only 370 have been cleared while 3,589 are currently under observation.
The DOH-Davao confirmed on March 15 the first COVID-19 patient in the region, who was confined at the DRMC.
Identified as PH130, the 21-year old Filipina traveled from the United Kingdom with a layover via Doha, Qatar to Manila, then from Manila to Davao via Philippine Airlines Flight PR2815 at 12:30 p.m. on February 29.
The patient was placed on isolation on March 9 at a local health facility after seeking consultation due to cough.
On the following day, she was transferred to and admitted for isolation and testing at DMRC. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
