Twenty-nine houses were ealed off by the local Inter-Agency Task Force of Isabela town in Negros Occidental, after an 18-year-old pregnant resident of Barangay 9 Poblacion was found positive for coronavirus disease 2019.
Jefrey Esclavia, officer-in-charge of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the patient was swabbed last week as part of her pre-natal consultation at the Municipal Health Office.
The woman is due to give birth third week of December. She said she did not know where she got infected. She and her husband were brought to the Provincial Healing Center in EB Magalona town on Wednesday.
The houses under lockdown are within the 50-meter radius from the patient’s residence. Nineteen individuals were considered as her close contacts and underwent swab testing.
Esclavia said they are under observation at the isolation facility of the town.
Food packs were provided by the barangay to affected residents on the first day, and the municipal government gave food the following day and until the results of all those who underwent swab testing will turn out negative.
Esclavia added the patient is the second pregnant positive in the town in two weeks.
Last week, a 35-year-old mother from Barangay 5 also tested positive for COVID after a swab sample was taken during her pre-natal consultation.
She and her husband are now at the Provincial Healing Center. The patient is also due to give birth this month. Her close contacts are staying at the municipal isolation facility pending their swab test results.
More than 20 houses in Barangay 5 were also placed on lockdown since Nov. 27. They are part of the 31 houses sealed off in the town earlier.
The Municipal Town Hall of Isabela is also on lockdown until today for disinfection.
Three personnel from the Mayor’s Office also tested positive for the virus last week. The town has 11 active cases, as of yesterday, Dec. 3, Esclavia added. – ML
