CAGAYAN de Oro’s epidemiologist, Dr. Joselito Retuya, announced today that local health authorities have already completed the contact tracing of all people “under investigation” in the city and that the number of those under monitoring has further dropped to seven cases.
Seventy-eight of the 87 arrived from April 3 to 10.
About 27 of the 78 arrivals are firefighters that underwent training mandated by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) at Tacurong town, Sultan Kudarat, one came from Manila and three from Gingoog City.
Also included in the 78 are 27 construction workers that came from Davao and several bank personnel, including a couple that came from Marawi City.
“All of these new arrivals who are residents of Cagayan de Oro City are being monitored,” Retuya said over the weekend.
Some of the 78 new arrivals include 27 construction workers who were quarantined at one of the city’s facilities. A separate list was prepared by CHO to monitor arrivals of city residents who came from various parts of the country.
Acting city tourism and cultural affairs officer Chedilyn Aissa Dulguime said they received reports that some of the construction workers complained about the constrictive conditions at the city quarantine facility in Barangay Lumbia. She also appealed to the wives of these workers not to ask them to go home yet while they are undergoing quarantine.
“These are workers who are used to smoking so we told them not to smoke while they are undergoing quarantine. We prepared a list of activities for them to keep them busy so they won’t get bored and gave them candies so they won’t have to smoke,” said Dulguime, who heads the Humanitarian Cluster of City Hall’s Emergency Operations Center.
Upon the activation of the Barangay Health Emergency Response in early February, there is one remaining “person under investigation” and nine “persons under monitoring” that have been recorded, Retuya said.
“Nakakumpleto na tanan PUIs nga adunay mild symptoms nga naa sa mga kabalayaan ug atong PUMs pito na lang nabilin… ang duha ongoing pa ilang mandatory quarantine and five are due to end their quarantine today,” Retuya said during the daily press briefing at city hall this morning.
Retuya said they have since traced 166 PUMs of which 37 cases are still ongoing the 14-day mandatory quarantine with 13 cases to be due today.
He added that there 87 new arrivals who they are currently monitoring.
“Ginabantayan nato sila. Naa sila sa city isolation centers sa nagkalain-lain areas sa city. These people are residents of the city who are construction workers from Davao and trainees of the Bureau of Fire from Tacurong,” said Retuya.
Despite the encouraging figures, City Health Officer Lorraine Nery said residents should not let their guards down and to continue staying at home and strictly observe the social distancing protocol set by the city executive orders.
Dr. Nery emphasized that city residents should remain at home since the citywide community quarantine remains in effect until the DOH issues the “all clear” signal to the city government.
“Zero PUIs na ’ta. Nahuman na tanan sa ilang 14-day quarantine. Dili ’ta gihapon magkumpyansa tungod ining pagkunhod sa mga cases,” Nery said.
She said they are still monitoring the contact persons even when they have undergone complete contact tracing.
“While nagpadayon pag ubos ang numbers of PUMs and PUIs, dili kini pasabot wa luwas na kita sa Covid-19,” said Nery.
Nery said they are also still monitoring at the barangay level.
“Naay gina monitor ARI [Acute Respiratory Illness] and Influenza-like illness sa mga kabarangayan. Wala gakumpol pero dapat gihapon nato i-monitor,” she explained.
She lauded the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (Bherts) of the city’s 80 barangays.
“Pasalamat sa atong mga Bherts sa ilang padayon nga pagsuporta sa atong monitoring sa nagkalain-laing barangay. We are calling for more medical professionals to volunteer to help validate data gathered by Bherts,” Nery said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Oscar Moreno said CHO’s composite teams have visited 7,899 households in the city’s 80 barangays and will resume revalidating them house-to-house for influenza-like illnesses as of Saturday. (Cong B. Corrales with reports from Stephen Capillas of CIO)
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