A 46-year-old male jail officer assigned in Dumaguete City is the 25th and the latest mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Negros Oriental.
The victim, who was admitted in a private hospital due to pneumonia since December 11, passed away midnight of December 18.
In a press conference on Saturday, Dr. Liland Estacion, provincial health officer, said the province has eight new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 823 as of Dec. 19.
Among the new cases are three frontliners working in one of the private hospitals in Dumaguete.
A 38-year-old resident doctor, who intubated a COVID-19 patient who died last week, was found positive after his swab results was released on Dec. 18, but is asymptomatic.
A 30-year-old female nurse who resides in Tanjay City, but works in the same private hospital in Dumaguete, also tested positive.
An emergency room nurse was also found positive and was exposed to a close contact of another COVID-19 patient.
The three are now staying in the isolation facility of the hospital.
Another new confirmed case was a 73-year-old female from Bacolod City. She was swabbed before visiting the wake of Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan, the slain city health officer of Guihulngan City.
She was found positive on Friday, Dec. 18, and was transported back to Bacolod on Saturday.
A market enforcer was also among the new positives after the city government conducted a random test for its enforcers. – MML
