EV’s COVID-19 cases now at 1,918
TACLOBAN CITY – Catbalogan City Mayor Dexter Uy confirms that he is positive of the corona virus (COVID-19), making him the first elected official from the region to get the infection.
In his video message evening August 20, Uy,26, said that now that he was tested positive of the dreaded virus, he asked to be placed at their isolation facility.
The Catbalogan city mayor is among the 53 fresh cases of the city of which 36 were health care workers at the Samar Provincial Hospital while 17 were close contacts of previous confirmed case.
Uy narrated that he experienced symptoms such as fever, tiredness, colds and cough then loss of taste and smell which made him decide to undergo swabbing.
Mayor Uy reiterated for the public to take seriously the health protocols being imposed by the government in order to contain further spread of the dreaded virus.
He added that in his effort to lessen the effects of COVID-19 in the city by going out and reminding his residents, he did not expect to get the infection.
“I don’t want other Catbaloganons to experience what I have experienced. Don’t do the things that I did,” Uy said.
“I am appealing to please stay at home, always wear face masks, wear face shield, practice social distancing, and wash your hands. Again, I am appealing for us to work together to stop the spread of this virus. Stay at home, that is your greatest contribution in this fight against COVID-19,” he added.
A total of 97 fresh cases of Covid-19 were announced by the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) Thursday evening, August 20. This brings the region’s total COVID-19 cases to 1, 918 cases.
The confirmatory test was conducted at the Eastern Visayas Regional Covid-19 Testing Center at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center-Magsaysay and at the Divine Word Hospital Virology Laboratory.
The 97 new cases is the highest record of positive case in a single day in the region.
These cases were from Samar with 67; Leyte with 25 and Northern Samar with five.
Of the 97 new cases, 41 were health care workers, 27 were close contacts of previous COVID-19 confirmed patients while the rest were locally stranded individuals.
With the increasing number of health care workers at Samar Provincial Hospital who have acquired the infection, the DOH is mulling the idea of sending augmentation personnel at the said hospital, John Paul Roca, DOH-8 information officer.
Active COVID-19 cases in the region is now at 685. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
