DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 03 April) – Mindanao has breached the 100-mark in confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with 103 in the six regions of Mindanao as of April 2, up from only 19 on March 27.
Davao region tops the list with 69 cases, 57 of them from Davao City (by 8 p.m. on April 3, the figure rose to 73 cases, 58 of them from Davao City).
MindaNews tallied the regional reports of the Department of Health and the Bangsamoro Ministry of Health as of 8 p.m. on April 2 and noted that the Davao region recorded 69 cases (including 11 deaths), followed by Northern Mindanao with 15 (including six deaths), Region 12 (Soccskargen) with seven, Zamboanga region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with six each.
Only Caraga region has no confirmed case and has the lowest number of persons under investigation (PUIs) and persons under monitoring (PUMs).
Davao City, the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, accounts for 57 of the 69 cases in the region or 82%. Mindanao-wide, it accounts for 55.3% out of 103.
Davao del Norte accounts for six cases, Davao Oriental three, Davao del Sur two, Davao de Oro one and Davao Occidental, zero.
All 11 deaths in the Davao region are from Davao City. Exactly how many of these deaths and confirmed cases can be traced to the six-cock derby at the New Davao Matina Gallera on March 6 to 13 can be ascertained only when the DOH-Davao releases the case details or case histories of numbers 9 to 69. It has not, despite repeated demands, although it did release socmed cards with incomplete data minutes before the 3 np.m. virtual press briefing on Thursday on the nine deaths, 18 recoveries and 34 undergoing treatment.
During the virtual presser, Dr. Lenny Joy Rivera, Assistant Regional Director, said 12 of the 61 cases shared a history of exposure at the cockpit. Of 12, she said, four died, seven are under treatment and one recovered.
MindaNews sources, including cockfighting aficionados, said at least seven who went to the derby have died and there are more than seven undergoing treatment (see other story)
The DOH-Davao’s last report on persons under investigation (PUIs) and persons under monitoring (PUMs) was on March 27 with 176 PUIs, 78 of them admitted and 88 discharged, and 13,825 PUMs, 7,376 still under monitoring and 6,448 cleared. Beginning March 29, the DOH-Davao has been releasing statistics only of confirmed cases, deaths and recoveries, still without the accompanying case histories.
As of 9 p.m. Friday, DOH-Davao has not released the case histories of 9 to 69.
Northern Mindanao recorded 15 confirmed cases, 10 of these labeled “captured non-region 10 cases” or those from other regions but admitted or transferred to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMCC) in Cagayan de Oro City and five from within the region — two from Iligan City and one each from Cagayan de Oro City, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.
Northern Mindanao comprises the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, and the cities of Malaybalay, Valencia, Iligan, Tangub, Ozamiz, Oroquieta, Cagayan de Oro and El Salavador.
The regional report recorded six deaths of confirmed cases and eight PUI deaths but did not indicate their places of origin.
Northern Mindanao recorded 321 PUIs, 49 of them admitted in the hospital and 59 others on home quarantine.
Region 12 or Soccskargen recorded seven cases, four from Cotabato City, two from Sultan Kudarat and one from South Cotabato.
Region 12 comprises the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Kidapawan, Tacurong, and Cotabato City which voted for inclusion in the BARMM last year but is still listed under DOH Region 12.
Region 12 listed 181 PUIs, 31 of them admitted and 100 on strict home quarantine, and 194 PUMs.
Region 9 or Zamboanga region recorded six cases, three from Zamboanga City, three from Zamboanga del Sur.
Zamboanga region comprises the three Zamboanga provinces – del Norte, del Sur and Sibugay – and the cities of Zamboanga, Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian and Lamitan in Isabela.
The DOH-Zamboanga reported 208 PUIs, 38 of them admitted and 79 under home quarantine. It provided no data on the PUMs.
The BARMM reported six cases including three deaths, two recoveries and one under home quarantine.
BARMM comprises the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan and Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area comprising 63 barangays in North Cotabato that voted for inclusion in the BARMM. Cotabato City also voted for inclusion in the BARMM but its health office is still under Region 12.
BARMM also recorded 278 PUIs and 7,584 PUMs.
Basilan reported the most number of PUIs at 55 followed by Sulu at 50, 44 in Maguindanao, 32 in Lanao del Sur, 30 Filipinos deported from Malaysia quarantined in Sibakil Islands in Lantawan, Basilan; and 17 in Tawi-tawi.
Of the 7,584 PUMs, Lanao del Sur topped the list with 2,217, followed by Maguindanao with 2,117; Sulu with 1,124; Tawi-tawi with 1,107; Basilan with 929, Sibakil with 90; and Special Geographic Area with 47.
Caraga region has zero confirmed cases and only seven PUIs, two of them admitted, seven under strict home quarantine. Out of a cumulative total of 7,804 persons under monitoring (PUMs), 7,674 have been cleared and only 130 remain under monitoring.
Caraga comprises the two Agusans (del Norte and del Sur) and Surigao (del Norte and Del Sur) and Dinagat Islands. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
