Ten individuals from the cities of Dumaguete and Bayawan in Negros Oriental, who are considered close contacts of a COVID-19 patient, are among the 14 new coronavirus cases in Negros Oriental.
Dr. Liland Estacion, assistant provincial health officer and NegOr Inter-Agency Task Force head, said that among the five new patients in Bayawan City are teachers and students, who are close contacts of an infected patient from Barangay Nangka.
They are now at the isolation facility of the city, she said, adding that two of the five new cases in Dumaguete City are close contacts of a patient who died recently.
The town of Sta. Catalina has three new COVID-19 infections, two of whom are close contacts of a patient who was infected earlier.
Another positive case is a 49-year-old male, a returning overseas Filipino or ROF, from Dubai.
Negros Oriental also recorded its latest COVID-19 death.
He was a 79-year-old male from Barangay Bagacay, Dumaguete City, who died at a private hospital on Jan. 25 from severe pneumonia.
This brings to 36 the total number of COVID-19 deaths from Negros Oriental and the 17th from Dumaguete City, Estacion said.
The province has a total of 1,322 cases from 25,375 swab samples tested.
The PHO said 214 are active cases with Dumaguete City having the most number at 77; Sibulan, 34; Tanjay City, 22; Bacong, 14; Siaton, 10; Dauin, 9; Sta. Catalina, 8; Bayawan City and Valencia, 7 each; Zamboanguita, 6; Bais City, 5; San Jose, 3; Amlan, 2; and Basay, 1. – MML
