MAGSINGAL, Ilocos Sur, Mar. 24 (PIA) – Governor Ryan Luis Singson placed the entire barangay of San Vicente in this town under extreme enhanced community quarantine starting Tuesday, March 24 as a precautionary measure against the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This was bared by Governor Singson in a press conference held on Monday evening at the Provincial Library after a patient confined at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital-Gabriel Silang in Vigan City was considered as a highly probable case of COVID-19 while results of his laboratory test are still pending.
According to the statement issued by the provincial government, the patient is a 34-year-old male driver of Maria de Leon Bus Line.
He left Manila on the evening of March 14 and was dropped at Magsingal, Ilocos Sur at 4:00 in the morning of March 15.
On March 16, patient developed cough and headache which persisted and progressed.
On March 22, he had a high grade fever and difficulty of breathing. He was initially isolated at Ilocos Sur District Hospital-Magsingal.
Due to severity of signs and symptoms and the result initial chest X-ray, patient was transferred to the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital-Gabriela Silang where CT-scan of the chest was done early Monday.
CT-scan rendered bilateral pneumonia suggestive of classic COVID-19, moderate in degree by British Society of Thoracic Imaging (BSTI) guidelines.
Based on the official statement of the Philippine College of Radiology, CT-scan is documented to be more sensitive than gene sequencing.
An extreme enhanced community quarantine prevents anyone from entering and leaving the said barangay, total lockdown will be observed to lessen the risk of transmission of the respiratory disease to other communities.
Residents of Barangay San Vicente are strictly mandated to be on home quarantine.
Governor Singson assured that the provincial government will provide the necessary support to them while they are on home quarantine.
Based on the latest update from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EREID) for COVID-19, Ilocos Sur remains COVID-19 free while there are 11 persons under investigation and 11,197 persons under monitoring.
Meanwhile, health authorities urged the public to stay at home, practice preventive measures such as frequent hand washing with soap, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and maintaining social distance. (JCR/AMB/PIA Ilocos Sur)
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