Mindanao alert up

Maguindanao health officials are alarmed over rising coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the province as well as in nearby cities.

In Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN), 25 new cases were recorded over the weekend while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reported 67 new cases, 61 of them from the island-province of Tawi-Tawi.

Dr. Elizabeth Samama, Maguindanao health chief, said the province is at high-risk status for local transmission but assured all health frontliners will “work tirelessly to improve COVID-19 case detection and handling.”

She advised residents to undergo isolation and quarantine if they had contacts with suspected or confirmed cases or have traveled to high-risk areas, including Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, South Cotabato, Koronadal City, General Santos City, Davao City and Cotabato City.

“Should you develop symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, loss of smell and taste, contact your rural health unit,” she said.

Maguindanao has 119 confirmed cases (97 of them active), 92 suspected cases and two fatalities as of Friday.

SOCCSKSARGEN’s 25 new cases were mostly from the southern part — South Cotabato, eight; General Santos City, seven, Sarangani, three; and Sultan Kudarat, two.

Department of Health (DoH) also listed nine new recoveries in South Cotabato (six) and General Santos City (three).

“We hope that the number of positive cases will continue to decrease in the coming days,” DoH-SOCCSKSARGEN spokesperson Arjohn Gangoso said.

The region has 1,039 confirmed cases. Of the total, 496 have recovered, active cases are at 522 and 20 died.

South Cotabato has the highest number of active cases with 218; followed by General Santos City, 118; Cotabato City, 102; North Cotabato, 39; Sarangani, 26; and Sultan Kudarat, 19.

The Ministry of Health-BARMM, meanwhile, said that aside from Tawi-Tawi, there were also six new cases in Lanao del Sur as of 17 September.

Across the region, there have been 895 positive cases since March, with 699 already recovered. Active cases are at 163 and deaths 33 so far.

Lanao del Sur has the most active cases with 74, Tawi-Tawi has 62, Maguindanao has 24, Basilan has two and Sulu one.

Of 299 employees of the Bangsamoro Government’s Office of the Chief Minister who were tested, only 38 yielded positive results and three of them have recovered.

Bangsamoro

Health Minister

Dr. Saffrullah Dipatuan has also shaken off the virus.