TACLOBAN CITY – Two villages in Mahaplag town in Leyte were placed under heightened surveillance starting Thursday night to prevent the local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Mayor Daisy Lleve issued an executive order imposing the 48-hour strict movement restriction in Palanogan and Malipoon villages, hours after the Department of Health (DOH) announced that a resident tested positive for Covid-19.
The patient is the town’s first case, a 21-year-old male locally stranded individual (LSI) who arrived from Cebu, the DOH reported Thursday night.
“There is an urgent need to make sure that the person has been safely isolated, all appropriate measures are continually implemented, and close contacts are properly quarantined and isolated,” Lleve said.
The confirmed case came back from Cebu on June 20 but his test result was released on Thursday. He is quarantined in a local isolation facility.
During the heightened watch, the local health office and disaster risk reduction and management office will trace the immediate family members and close contacts of the patient for the mandatory quarantine in appropriate facilities.
Lleve has ordered the concerned village officials and watchmen, local police, and assigned personnel of the Philippine Army to assist in the implementation of the precautionary measures.
“Any person and entities who will not cooperate to this heightened quarantine and isolation measures, precautionary contact tracing, and restrictions of unnecessary movement of people shall be meted with appropriate action, in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations,” the official said.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Eastern Visayas has confirmed a total of 614 cases, including 498 recoveries and three deaths, based on the DOH monitoring report.
Most of the confirmed cases in the region are returning residents – 397 are LSIs, 53 are overseas Filipino workers, three are Balik Probinsya, Balik Pag-asa program beneficiaries, while the remaining 161 are local cases.
To date, the region has 113 active coronavirus cases, the DOH said. (PNA)
