Southern Leyte records first COVID-19 case

All confirmed cases in Baybay City are imported and not a local transmission. Likewise, they are identified and quarantined

PALO, Leyte — The Department of Health (DoH) in Eastern Visayas confirmed on Thursday evening 14 new cases of corona virus disease COVID-19 bringing to 90 the total number of positive cases in the region.

Among the new cases is of a 23-yearold male overseas Filipino seafarer from Bontoc, Southern Leyte, the first from the said province, who arrived last 31 May via a plane. This newest case brings Southern Leyte to fifth among six provinces in the region with positive COVID-19 patient.

Bontoc Mayor Jane Ruales, in a public statement, said the patient was immediately brought to the town’s designated quarantine area at the Bontoc New Terminal upon his arrival.

She said upon receiving the confirmation from DoH regional office, the municipal Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 had an emergency meeting Thursday evening and agreed that the patient be immediately brought to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City for better care and management of his infection.

The 14 new COVID-19 in the region include one patient from Tacloban City and 12 from Baybay City.

DoH regional information officer John Paul Roca said the patient from Tacloban, a 23-year-old male and a Locally Stranded Individual (LSI) from Cebu, was also admitted to EVRMC after he showed symptoms such as high fever and body pains. He is the third COVID-19 case in the said city.

The 12 new cases in Baybay City, on the other hand, is the highest number of confirmed cases in a single day in the said city which now has 20 COVID-19 patients.

Among these 12 new cases, six were LSI’s from Cebu, one is a returning overseas Filipino worker, and five were LSI’s from Manila. All of them are residents of Baybay City

“All confirmed cases in Baybay City are imported and not a local transmission. Likewise, they are identified and quarantined,” Roca said.