Governor confirms death of coronavirus patient in Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines —Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda on Saturday, March 14, confirmed that there are already 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, one of them had died on March 11.

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. 

Pineda said one of the patients, referred to as PAMP 1, was a Grab driver based in the Clark Freeport and plied Pampanga routes.

The Grab driver was admitted to a hospital in Metro Manila while his family was from Porac town, also in Pampanga.

The second patient was coded PAMP 2. The patient reportedly worshipped in a prayer room in San Juan and was exposed to one confirmed case.

Pineda said PAMP 2 is now confined, quarantined and being treated at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in Pampanga, which has been designated by the Deparment of Health as a facility to treat COVID-19 cases.

The governor said patient PAMP 3 was from a private hospital in the capital city of San Fernando. 

PAMP3 died on March 11, 3 days after being admitted to the hospital. Th result of lab test confirmed the infection only on the night of March 13.

The hospital said it was undertaking measures to control the spread of the disease. PAMP 3 could have been infected by a neighbor who had travelled to Singapore.

Pineda said those who came in contact with the 3 patients are now being traced and monitored.

“I am appealing to my kabalen (provincemates) who had recent travels abroad and who showed symptoms of COVID-19, to come to me and seek my help,” he said.

As of 5 pm, Saturday, March 14, the DOH said there are now 98 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 98.

To date, 8 have died of th disease.  – Rappler.com