DOH Bicol reports 1 new case of COVID-19
Press Release, May 16, 2020
The Department of Health Center for Health Development – Bicol (DOH CHD-Bicol) reported on Saturday, May 16, a new positive COVID-19 case out of the last 29 samples run at the Bicol Regional Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory (BRDRL). The total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Bicol is now at 67.
A 32-year old Filipino female from Naga City, Camarines Sur is the 67th confirmed case of COVID-19 in the region. She is a close contact of patient with local code Bicol#60. Patient is asymptomatic and was seen by Camarines Sur Provincial Health Office on May 12, 2020. Patient is quarantined. Bicol#67 is a nurse. The total number of health workers infected of COVID-19 is now at 23.
Of the twenty-nine (29) test results released Saturday, 26 yielded negative, 1 equivocal, and 1 invalid.
These test results are the remaining samples that were extracted before the exhaust duct at BRDRL was damaged by Typhoon Ambo. The exhaust duct of the biosafety cabinet is needed to extract samples without infecting the health workers. DOH CHD – Bicol reiterates that only the exhaust duct was damaged and not the entire laboratory. The RT PCR machine that runs the test after extraction of samples is functional.
The remaining 146 samples that were not processed were transported today to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). 33 of these samples are from Albay Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU), 36 from Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH), 16 from Bicol Medical Center (BMC), 42 from Camarines Sur Provincial Health Office, and 19 from Camarines Norte Provincial Hospital. DOH CHD – Bicol asks for the patience and understanding of everyone.
Total Covid cases in the Philippines is now 12,305 with 817 deaths. The country still ranks third in Southeast Asia in terms of positive cases next to Singapore and Indonesia.
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