Cavite town mayor infected with coronavirus

CAVITE, Philippines – Junio Dualan, mayor of Naic town in Cavite, announced on Tuesday, March 24, that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a Facebook post in Filipino, Dualan said that after “several tests” were done on the swab taken from him on March 18, the doctors declared him “positive but in good condition.”  

He said he had been advised to go into “strict self-quarantine.” 

“Muli po, hinihingi ko ang inyong pang-unawa at dasal. Sana po ay ating sundin ang mga guidelines ng gobyerno ukol sa enhanced community quarantine dahil ito naman po ay para din sa inyo at para sa lahat,” he said. 

(Again, I ask for your understanding and prayers. I hope we follow the guidelines for enhanced community quarantine set by the government because this is for your own good and for the sake of other peopple.)

“Sa awa ng Panginoon, alam kong malalampasan natin ang lahat ng ito,” the mayor said. (By God’s mercy, we will overcome this.) 

On March 20, Dualan posted on Facebook that he sought to get tested on March 18, a day after he went into quarantine. The initiative to isolate himself came when he learned of the news that Mayor Ferdie Estrella of Baliuag, Bulacan, had tested positive for COVID-19. 

Dualan said he was at the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, which Estrella also attended. 

With Dualan directing local government operations from home, Naic has imposed a liquor ban, and workers have been disinfecting major roads, among other measures to arrest the coronavirus outbreak.  

Naic is a first class municipality in the 8th district of Cavite, south of Metro Manila. It has a population of about 120,000 as of 2015 census. 

Based daily updates posted by Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla the past two weeks, there are at least two confirmed COVID-19 cases in Naic, as of March 23: a 62-year-old and a 71-year-old, both male. 

No other details were available to determine if Dulaan was one of the two cases confirmed in Naic a day before his disclosure. – Miriam Grace A. Go/Rappler.com