COTABATO CITY: Health authorities in North Cotabato are now conducting investigation and contact tracing after six of its constituents have been tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“All the six new cases were admitted for non-Covid-19 reasons to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City but then tested positive after admission,” board member Dr. Philbert Malaluan said.

Malaluan, also the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force for Covid-19 spokesperson, said one of the six patients was a 20-year-old male from Pigcawayan town who died of an internal brain hemorrhage after a car accident. He was swabbed while still admitted and tested positive for Covid-19.

He and the five other patients, two from Libungan town, two from Pigcawayan, and one from Carmen were admitted to the CRMC for non-Covid-19 related cases.

“They (five) are all supposed to be dialysis (kidney/non-Covid) patients of CRMC. Now, they are all Covid-positive,” Malaluan said.

Malaluan said contact tracing involving several hospital staff of CRMC, who most probably be identified as close and direct contacts of those from the towns of Pigcawayan, Libungan, and Carmen, has been initiated.

He said “tracers” are interviewing families and friends of the Covid-19 positive patients, who were among the 18 new cases in the Soccsksargen region recorded by the Department of Health (DOH-12) on July 20.

As of Tuesday, Region 12 has a total of 178 Covid-19 patients, 67 of whom have recovered. 

(Edwin Fernandez/PNA/SRNY/RSP)