OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines – A 62-year-old male Singaporean is the first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient of  San Marcelino town in Zambales, its mayor said.

San Marcelino town Mayor Elvis Soria said on Saturday, April 4, that the patient is a pastor of a Christian church in Barangay Rabanes. The patient went to Singapore on March 1, flew to Japan on March 8, then returned to the Philippines on March 14.

The Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) was informed on March 26 that the patient had high fever. He was immediately listed as a patient under investigation (PUI).

On March 31, the staff of the San Marcelino District Hospital (SMDH) took a “swab sample” from the patient and sent this to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). 

On April 3, at 4pm, the San Marcelino IATF-MEID received a telephone call from RITM confirming that the patient was positive for COVID-19.

Soria said that health authorities have been  actively conducting “contact tracing” on all possible patient encounters. The mayor has also enforced a “total lockdown” around the patient’s residence. Sorian also directed the barangay to be disinfected. 

With the patient from San Marcelino, Zambales, now has 6 COVID-19 cases, with one fatality. 

As of Sunday afternoon, April 5, the Department of Health (DOH) said the country has 3,246 cases, 152 of whom have died. There were 64 patients who have recovered. – Rappler.com