Returnees comprise highest single-day rise in Eastern Visayas COVID-19 cases

MANILA, Philippines – Eastern Visayas reported 19 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease on Tuesday night, June 9, its biggest single-day increase. 

All of the new confirmed patients were returning residents: 17 locally-stranded individuals and 2 Balik-Probinsiya program beneficiaries, who came from Manila, Pasig City, and Cebu City. 

Tagged as patients EV-54 to EV-72, they were coming home to Pastrana, Leyte; Calubian, Leyte; Baybay City; Ormoc City; and San Isidro, Northern Samar. 

The new confirmed infections brought to 72 the total number of cases in the region, the Department of Health – Eastern Visayas Center of Health Development (DOH – EVCHD) said in a report on Wednesday, June 10.

These 19 positive cases were among the 195 test results released by the Eastern Visayas Regional COVID-19 Testing Center (EVRCTC) on Tuesday; 177 of them tested negative of the virus. (See the list here.)  

“The DOH would like to assure the public that this is not a local transmission. Upon arrival of these patients in the region, they were immediately quarantined so there is no chance for them to be in contact with the general public. They are also being watched by their respective LGU’s,” DOH Regional Director Minerva Molon said in the press release on Wednesday.

She urged the public to observe minimum health standards when going out for errands, and to adapt to the “new normal” setting during this pandemic. 

Local officials and residents initially protested when the national governnment started sending home repatriated overseas Filipino workers and locally-straned individuals without prior coordination with the receiving cities and towns. The local governments wanted to make sure they had space in their quarantine facilities to ensure that returnees wouldn’t be able to spread the virus to residents. (READ: Disorganized repatriation program puts E. Visayas rural healthcare at risk)

As of Wednesday, Eastern Visayas has recorded 34 recoveries, all asymptomatic, and 38 active cases – a total of 72 cases. The Philippines records 23,732 total number of cases, 4,895 recoveries, and 1,027 deaths. – Earl Jon Taguinod/Rappler.com