Cebu City records 139 new COVID-19 cases; bulk of infection reported at city jail
Visitors at the Cebu City Jail could not enter the facility after the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology received a call of a plot to hold hostage visitors for a massive jail break in this 2017 file photo.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City recorded the most number of coronavirus disease cases today, April 22, 2020, with a total of 139 positive cases reported in just one day.
The bulk of the infection or 123 cases was reported from the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan. This now brings to a total of 128 the total number of cases recorded that at the jail facility that is occupied by more than 6, 000 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
The 16 other cases came from the barangays and cluster clinics.
Anticipating the discovery of more COVID-19 cases at the jail facility, Mayor Edgardo Labella said he will have their new building that has a capacity of 3, 0000 individuals converted into an isolation facility.
“Treatment and management of mild to moderate cases will be done by the medical personnel of the city jail in close coordination with the City Health Office and Department of Health,” Labella said during his virtual press conference this afternoon.
It was also during his press conference that Labella announced the addition of 139 COVID-19 cases in the city. This now brings to a total of 312 the number of virus-infected persons here.
Labella said that the massive increase resulted from the mass testing now initiated at the city jail and in the different barangays.
On Tuesday, the City Health Department 9CHD) collected over 300 swab samples, of which 139 tested positive for infection. Of the 300 test samples, a total of 199 were taken during massive testing that was made at the city jail on Monday, after two inmates and a jail guard were diagnosed with the infection. A total of 123 of the 199 test samples were positive for COVID-19.
The other tests were made in the barangays and cluster clinics. Test results showed that three new cases were recorded in Barangay Luz, nine in Barangay Labangon, one case each in Barangays Kasambagan and Inayawan and along C. Padilla Street.
The discovery of new cases in Barangay Luz resulted from mass testing that was made in Sitio Cabantan. All of the three COVID-19 patients ware now scheduled for transfer to the isolation center located at the Barrio Luz Night High School. / dcb
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