Latest Baguio Coronavirus cases are asymptomatic

June 8, 2020 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY — All four new Covid-19 cases reported since day 1 of the city’s Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) status on June 1, 2020 were asymptomatic, reports from the city information office and the city health services office stated.

On Friday, June 5, 2020, Mayor Benjamin Magalong confirmed the latest patient as a 32-year old male from South Central Aurora Hill.

The Mayor said the patient was known to have been exposed to John Delinger Batulan, a nurse who was confirmed positive of the dreaded disease last Tuesday, June 2.

The patient is currently asymptomatic, the Mayor said.

The latest patient has been added to the city’s Covid-19 toll on Thursday, June 4, bringing the tally of total cases in Baguio City to 36.

On Monday, June 1, the first day the city was under MGCQ, two cases were reported, and both patients were asymptomatic.

The next day of MGCQ, Tuesday, June 2, the third case was reported, and was also asymptomatic.

The first two cases reported on June 1 included a 25-year old male who was committed to the Baguio City Jail on May 29, and identified by the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) personnel as Bernard Agbuya, 25, of Apugan, Brgy. Poliwes.

Agbuya tested positive May 31 and was apprehended by the Baguio City Police Station 8 late evening of May 28 after a squabble with neighbors, reportedly at a drinking spree with his brother, which also caused serious injuries to Agbuya’s father.

Charges of direct assault with resistance and disobedience to persons in authority and violation of the liquor ban were filed against Agbuya, along with the other suspects, following a spot report to BCPO Director P Col. Allen Rae Co by P Capt. Roger Kurt Pacificar.

Poliwes barangay was immediately placed on lockdown by the mayor on May 29 for recalcitrant behavior.

The other case was a 28-year old female from City Camp Central, identified as Ailene Doria, a returning Baguio worker who arrived May 29 to resume work as a store manager in one of the city’s establishments.

Doria responded to the mayor’s call for identify revelation to help ease contact tracing, prevent virus transmission and save lives.

She reportedly came from La Union where she stayed at a company-appointed boarding house in the City of San Fernando for three days from May 26, while waiting for confirmation of her travel date to Baguio.

She was asymptomatic, but as a Returning Baguio Resident (RBR), she went through the process, where her diagnostic x-ray result showed a suspicious pneumonia, which prompted triage doctors to let her undergo a swab or the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.

Mayor Magalong had then directed concerned offices to expedite disinfection, contact tracing, isolation and patient management.

Magalong advised the public to be extra vigilant even while contact tracing, quarantine, disinfection and medical measures are ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Baguio City Jail had also called on those who visited the male dorm response team post from May 29-31, 2020 to coordinate immediately with the City Health Services Office or the BCPO contact tracing team.

The City Health Services Office also, during an online media forum on Tuesday, June 2, reminded the public to practice community discipline as some restrictions are relaxed under MGCQ.

Assistant City Health Officer Celiaflor Brillantes said that everyone is tasked to remind or reprimand family members and fellow residents to not loiter outside their homes, but to continue to stay at home as much as possible, while the Covid-19 threat remains.

It is important that each one must ensure their personal safety and that of others, Brilliantes added.

Merriam del Rosario/ABN