Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5) – Davao Occidental reported on Tuesday its first confirmed COVID-19 case. The patient also died, according to local officials.
The Davao Occidental Provincial Health office announced that the infected patient had no travel history.
In a radio interview later, Governor Claude Bautista confirmed the province’s first COVID-19 case passed away early this morning.
Bautista added the infected patient was a 65-year old woman, who was admitted in the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City on May 1 due to hypertension and heart failure.
The governor raised suspicions the infected patient contracted the disease at SPMC.
“Her condition was already frail when she was brought to SPMC. It was possible that she got the virus there. But still, we are conducting the proper contact tracing in the province,” said Bautista.
Bautista assured the provincial government is now conducting contact tracing and community testing among its suspected residents to prevent the spread of the virus in the province.
Davao Occidental lifted its enhanced community quarantine last May 1, following orders from the national government.
Based on the latest report by the Department of Health Davao Center for Health Development, the entire Davao region now has confirmed 154 COVID-19 cases with 12 new infections reported today.
The region also has 21 deaths and 84 recoveries due to the disease.
Davao City has the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region, with 136 infections. Davao del Norte recorded 10 confirmed cases, while Davao Oriental has three COVID-19 positive cases.
Davao del Sur and Davao de Oro each have two confirmed cases of the virus in their areas.
The Department of Health reported today the country has 9,684 confirmed COVID-19 cases along with 637 deaths and 1,408 recoveries.
