
(Eagle News) – The persons confirmed to have the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines have now gone up to five after the positive test results on two additional cases, the fifth being a Filipino who had no travel history outside the country, the Department of Health announced on Friday, March 6.
The latest development is significant because the fifth case, a 62-year old male Filipino who tested positive with COVID-19 on March 5, points to a possible local transmission of the virus in the country.
“It can be considered as a local transmission,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a press briefing on Friday.
The confirmed fifth case also attended gatherings at the prayer hall with Muslims in San Juan City, Duque said.
“The fifth case is known to have regularly visited a Muslim prayer hall in Barangay Greenhills, San Juan City,” he said.
The Department of Health (DOH) also said that the fourth case was a 48-year old male Filipino with travel history from Japan who came to the Philippines on February 25. He developed chills and fever beginning March 3, and is now confined at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).
The fourth case had travel history from Tokyo, Japan, Duque said.
“Contract tracing is ongoing. So we cannot give you a figure right now,” Duque said when asked the number of persons who may have had close contact with the two latest COVID-19 cases.
In the meantime, the DOH could not determine how the fifth case, a 62-year old Filipino who frequented a Muslim prayer hall in Greenhills, had contracted the virus since he has no recent travel history outside the country.
“How the fifth case got the COVID-19, we really don’t know,” Duque said.
He said that they are now tracing all those who may have had interaction with the 62-year old male who attended the prayer hall in San Juan City.
“Previous visitors to the prayer hall who are presenting with fever and/or respiratory symptoms are encouraged to call the DOH hotline (02)8-651-7800 loc 1149-1150 for proper referral to the appropriate health facility,” Duque said.
This fifth case had hypertension and diabetes mellitus. He experienced cough with phlegm last February 25.
“The patient sought medical consultation at a hospital in Metro Manila last March 1 and was admitted with severe pneumonia. Specimen collected on March 4 tested positive for COVID-19 on March 5. He also has no known history of travel outside of the country,” Duque said.
The fourth case who came to the Philippines from Japan last February 25 “experienced chills and fever beginning March 3.”
“The patient sought medical consultation at a hospital and samples were collected for testing. Results tested positive for COVID-19 on March 5,” Duque said.
He is currently in a stable condition at the RITM. The fifth case is also confined at the RITM.
Both cases are residents of Metro Manila.
“Contact tracing is being done for the two cases and samples have already been collected from close contacts. DOH is also in close coordination with the concerned Local Government Units for concerted action on identifying persons who had interaction with the confirmed cases and strengthening of infection prevention and control protocols,” the DOH said.
Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that at least one relative of the fifth case already exhibited virus symptoms.
“Based on contact tracing and the initial investigation that we have done last night and early this morning, we already have one relative who has been with the patient all throughout and has already experienced symptoms and is now with him in our referral hospital,” she said.
“The specimen has now been collected and we are just awaiting results,” Vergeire said.
-Contact tracing heightened as three foreigners who travelled to PHL test positive for COVID-19-
Aside from the two additional cases, the DOH is currently doing contact tracing of all who may have had contact with three foreigners who tested positive in their home countries after travel to the Philippines.
The three foreigners are a 38-year old Taiwanese national, a 60-year old Australian female, and a 44-year old Japanese male.
All have made significant travel in the country, without knowing that they have the virus.
Duque said that they are still determining if the foreigners contacted the disease in the country , or if they had it before coming to the Philippines.
“These recent developments are significant, but we are prepared to respond to its potential consequences. Our priority is to protect our health workers and the most vulnerable populations,” the Health Chief said.
“We can still contain the spread of the virus in the country, which is why we are encouraging the public to practice proper handwashing, social distancing, and cough etiquette. We call on the public to be vigilant and continue doing their part in containing the disease,” Duque said.