DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 April) — Mayor Sara Duterte confirmed on Saturday that four out of 62 individuals who underwent random tests in Barangay Leon Garcia and Barangay 23-C had tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Duterte announced over the city government-run Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) that three out of 15 tested randomly through oral swab tests in Barangay Leon Garcia and one in 47 in Barangay 23-C tested positive.
She said the latest case in Barangay 23-C is asymptomatic.
“The patient is in one of our centers. He has no symptoms, no cough, no colds, nothing. There could be more of this case,” she said.
Overpass message in Davao CIty: stay home. Employees of essential businesses including healthcare workers have to walk as public transportation is very limited – no jeepneys are allowed – under an enhanced community quarantine. MindaNews photo taken 15 April 2020 by MANMAN DEJETO
Duterte added local health authorities have already intensified the contact tracing efforts to locate other possible individuals infected with COVID-19, and prevent the transmission of the infection in the communities.
Last Tuesday, Duterte placed Puroks 3, 4, and 7 of Barangay 23-C and Purok 9 of Barangay 21-C on lockdown after health authorities confirmed residents from these areas confirmed positive for COVID-19.
She later modified this to street or house lockdown.
The mayor reminded Dabawenyos to adhere to the quarantine protocol, explaining that asymptomatic patients could infect more individuals since they do not manifest any symptoms and are not aware that they are infected.
“There are others who do not show any symptoms, but they can infect. This is more dangerous because they feel nothing, and so they might think that they are fine and are not conscious with their movement. What is important is you stay at home, and you ensure that when you go out you get yourself protected, and when you come home, you protect the other individuals in your home by washing yourself,” she said.
She said the current quarantine protocols would still remain even if the enhanced community quarantine, which has been extended from April 27 until May 15, would be lifted, to slow down the spread of the infection.
“The only way that we can go back to our normal pre-COVID-19 lives is when there is medicine and a vaccine,” she said.
“We need to prepare for that and everybody needs to prepare for that because there is no vaccine, there is no medicine. The only thing we can do now is to keep the number of our infected low, and treat those who are positive, control the spread of infection, and look for those people who are asymptomatic,” she said.
“Since there is no medicine and vaccine, the virus is still out there. What we need to do now is to ensure our numbers remain low, and to determine immediately those who are infected,” she said.
Davao City’s COVID-19 cases breached the 100-mark on Saturday, April 25.
As of 5 p.m. on April 25, the Department of Health’s Center for Health Development reported 120 cases in the Davao region, 104 of these in Davao City (see other story).
Since April 7, there have been no cases reported in the five Davao provinces – de Oro, del Norte, del Sur and Oriental. Davao Occidental has n o recorded case. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
