THE woman from Barangay Lapasan who died at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) past midnight today and four others feared to have contracted Covid-19 tested negative for the virus.

Local health officials noted a spike in the number of patients testing negative for Covid-19 in the city.

Dr. Bernard Rocha, a medical specialist at the NMMC, said the latest results brought to 71 people the number suspected Covid-19 patients who were cleared here.

The number of suspected Covid-19 cases is down to 13 cases.

City health officer Lorraine Nery said one of those who tested negative was the sexagenarian from La Paz 1, Lapasan, who died at the NMMC past 1 am today. Specimens were immediately taken from the woman for testing at the Davao-based Southern Mindanao Medical Center when she was admitted to the NMMC on April 29. Her death was blamed on diabetes.

Dr. Rocha said a 31-year-old woman and her seven-month-old baby from Barangay 35 also tested negative for Covid-19.

A health worker in isolation at the NMMC was also cleared after test results showed she did not catch the virus despite being exposed to Covid-19 Patient 6783, the man from Sitio Pinikitan, Camaman-an, who died at the NMMC.

The other Covid-19 patients who tested negative are a 53-year-old female from El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, and a 34-year-old female from Gingoog City, also in Misamis Oriental.

The doctors said the test results from the Southern Philippines Medical Center were received by city hall’s Health Response Cluster of the Emergency Operations Center just this morning.

Dr. Ian Christian Gonzales, chief of the Infectious and Communicable Diseases Unit of the Department of Health in Region 10, said the test results should not make people in the city complacent.

“Although daghan na negative, naa pa gihapon mga gina-admit sa NMMC. Data suggest that the region is still in the gray area sa pandemic,” said Gonzales.

Gonzales said residents should still continue to follow the community quarantine protocols such as regular hand washing and staying at home. (Cong B. Corrales)