DISINFECTION. Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) disinfect the holding area for returning residents in Catarman, Northern Samar on August 17, 2020. The Department of Health on Wednesday (Aug. 26, 2020) reported 115 new coronavirus disease 2019 cases in Eastern Visayas, bringing the region’s total to 2,363. (Photo courtesy of BFP Catarman)
TACLOBAN CITY – Seven more patients in Eastern Visayas have died due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday.
This brings the region’s total coronavirus deaths to 16 with 2,474 confirmed cases as of August 26, DOH Eastern Visayas Minerva Molon said in a statement.
The newly reported deaths include a 77- and 64-year-old female patients here and Tanauan town, both in Leyte, respectively; a 44- and 57-year-old male patients from Villareal, Samar; a 46-year-old male from Tarangnan, Samar; a 35-year-old male from Lawaan, Eastern Samar; and a 31-year-old male from Bontoc, Southern Leyte.
These patients died from August 17 to 21, Molon said.
“The recorded deaths in the region since March are mostly senior citizens and those with comorbidities such as kidney and cardiac diseases, hypertension, and diabetes, among others,” she added.
The regional office assured that concerned local government units strictly followed the DOH guidelines on handling and disposal of human remains of infected patients.
Meanwhile, the DOH also reported 111 new cases out of the 1,149 swab results from the region’s two Covid-19 laboratories here.
The new cases will be tagged as the region’s Patient Nos. 2364 to 2470, Molon said.
Samar has 51 new cases - 31 in Catbalogan, 12 in Basey, seven in Villareal, and one in Paranas town.
“All new cases in Samar, except for Paranas since they have not provided details yet, have no travel history but close contacts of confirmed patients,” Molon said.
The DOH has noted a steady surge of local cases in Catbalogan City and Villareal for the past few days, due to community and local virus transmission in these areas, respectively.
In Leyte province, seven new cases were reported in Babatngon, four in La Paz, three each in Alangalang, Leyte, Palo, and Matalom, two each in Calubian, Hindang, and Jaro, and one each in Barugo, Bato, Burauen, Pastrana, Abuyog, Tanauan, and Tunga.
The cities of Tacloban and Ormoc each have 10 and nine new cases, respectively.
Four more residents of Biliran have been infected, three in Caibiran and one in Naval, while Tommas Oppus town in Southern Leyte also has one new case.
The regional office also reported that 42 more patients have recovered from the disease, bringing the region’s total recoveries to 1,481 or 59.86 percent of the total confirmed cases.
To date, the region has 977 active cases admitted in hospitals, community isolation units, and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
The DOH attributed the surge of confirmed cases in the region to local transmission and arrival of more returning residents.
“With this current situation, we remind the public to immediately self-isolate if experiencing flu-like symptoms and strictly practice the minimum health standards such as wearing of a face masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, among others,” Molon said.
The regional office said among the new cases reported for the past days involved several health workers and front-liners. (PNA)
