Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (File photo)
DUMAGUETE CITY -- Another person under investigation (PUI) among eight people here who came into close contact with the two Chinese nationals infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus has tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
This was announced Sunday in a press briefing by Capitol spokesperson Bimbo Miraflor and Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Liland Estacion at the Integrated Provincial Health Office.
Last Thursday, four other PUIs also tested negative for the 2019 nCoV based on the results of throat swab samples sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
The RITM’s result for the fifth PUI came Sunday, Miraflor said.
There are three more PUIs, however, who are also awaiting test results from the RITM.
All eight PUIs have manifested flu-like symptoms and are currently under quarantine in an isolation facility at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) here.
Estacion said they need a second confirmatory test from RITM “just to make sure” that these PUIs are not infected with the novel coronavirus that was first reported in Wuhan, China and has now spread worldwide.
The first two cases in the Philippines were Chinese male and female tourists who visited Negros Oriental from Jan. 22 to 25, and were admitted at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila after exhibiting flu-like symptoms. The Chinese man has since died of the disease.
Meanwhile, the number of Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) in Negros Oriental for either coming into close contact with the infected Chinese nationals or had a history of travel to China, Hong Kong or other countries with nCoV cases, rose dramatically over the weekend from 38 to 74.
This is due to consolidated reports from local government units in Negros Oriental like Dumaguete, Bayawan, Zamboanguita, Sibulan, Tanjay, and San Jose, Miraflor said.
Of the total, 65 Filipinos completed the 14-day mandatory quarantine period.
However, nine Chinese nationals are still placed under quarantine, Miraflor said.
Two of them will end their quarantine on Feb. 12, while seven of them will end their self-quarantine on Feb 14, he said.
However, the seven Chinese were given clearance to leave for Manila because they have a chartered flight to China today, he added. (PNA)
