GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 15 April) – The entire Sarangani province has remained free from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after its latest suspected case has tested negative from the virus.
Sarangani Province. Map courtesy of Google
Dr. Arvin Alejandro, provincial health office chief, said the swab samples collected from the province’s last suspected patient, the 10th since last month, turned out free from COVID-19 based on the results released on Monday by the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) laboratory in Davao City.
“Our last swab was negative, the same with all the tests that we conducted so far,” he said in a statement.
Alejandro said seven of the collected specimens were tested at Department of Health’s (DOH) Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and three at the SPMC.
He said they were still monitoring at least 44 persons undergoing home quarantine and no new cases had been reported within the province’s seven municipalities.
Despite its COVID-19-free status, Alejandro advised residents to remain vigilant and strictly follow the prevention and control measures against the disease.
“We should not be complacent with this because the virus is still present in the country,” he said.
He cited the need to strengthen the existing enhanced community quarantine measures in the province, which was based on Executive Order No.
11 issued by Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon.
It restricted the movement of residents and tightened the border lockdown in its seven municipalities.
Sarangani is the only province in Region 12 or Soccsksargen that has yet to detect a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Based on the COVID-19 situation report released by DOH-Region 12 as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the region’s positive cases remained at 16, including one death. No new cases were added to the list in the last five days.
Cotabato City topped the list with six, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato with three each, and this city with one. (MindaNews)
