COVID-19 cases in Talisay now at 159

Coronavirus electron | Stock Image

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Talisay City has recorded a total of 159 cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as of June 20, 2020.

Mayor Gerald Anthony ‘Samsam’ Gullas said on Facebook that their city recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, one additional fatality, and four more recoveries.

He said that their city health office is also monitoring 77 active cases of the infection.

“We have 12 new positive cases today and unfortunately one death. We also have four new recoveries today,” Gullas said.

The city’s 25th COVID-19 fatality, according to Gullas, is a 45-year-old man-in-uniform from Barangay Dumlog.

“He was swabbed on June 11, 2020, for displaying ILI (influenza-like illness) symptoms. He was admitted to a government hospital on June 16, 2020. He died the next day. The results came out today (Saturday) and were positive. God bless his soul,” he said.

Meanwhile, all of the 12 new COVID-19 patients in Talisay City were first-degree contacts of previously confirmed cases and were already placed in isolation before the results of their swab tests were released.

“Since some of them have been swabbed June 11 and their contacts have even already recovered, we will test them within 14 days, meaning June 25, hopefully by then they will be declared recovered as well,” added Gullas.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infection Disease (IATF-MEID) has placed Talisay City under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) following the rise of COVID-19 cases there.  But the city’s status was changed to general community quarantine (GCQ) by the regional anti-coronavirus task force (RIATF).

Read: Gullas: Talisay City will remain under MECQ in absence of signed copy of IATF resolution

However, Gullas said the city will remain under a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until he receives a signed copy of the RIATF resolution. / dcb