‘Balik Probinsiya’ results in spike in Lanao Sur Covid-19 cases

LANAO del Sur has recorded 30 cases of Covid-19, the highest spike since more than a thousand residents started coming home on the first week of June.

Bangsamoro Parliament member and the spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur Inter-Agency Task Force, Zia Alonto Adiong, said the new cases bring the total Covid-19 cases to 30 patients, including the nine residents who were tested positive last weekend.

Adiong said all the patients were confirmed Covid-19-infected based on the Xpert Express PCR tests.

“As of 2 pm Saturday, we have 30 active cases, including the nine patients reported last weekend,” Adiong said, adding that all the patients are asymptomatic.

Shiela Ganda of the Lanao del Sur Inter-Agency Task Force said aside from 33 positive cases, there are 80 residents who tested positive in the rapid tests when they arrived in Marawi City.

Ganda said all of the 80 residents are now in isolation waiting for the results of their Xpert Express PCR tests at the Lanao del Sur provincial quarantine facility in Barangay Sagonsongan, Marawi City.

More than a thousand Lanao del Sur residents arrived in Laguindingan Airport on several flights on June 3, 5, 6 and 7 under the “Balik-Probinsiya, Bagong Pag-asa “ Program of the national government.

Ganda said the number of cases has already put a strain in the provincial quarantine facility converted from a housing project of Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr..

She said only 45 houses are ready for occupancy out of the 100-unit housing project.

Ganda said those waiting for their Xpert Express PCR test results have to share some of the houses.

“Three to five of them occupy one house because our facility is not enough to house all of them,” Ganda said.

Ganda said the 30 new Covid-19 patients, who are all asymptomatic, are now handled by their respected local governments that placed them in their municipal isolation facilities. (Froilan Gallardo)