La Trinidad, Benguet – The municipal government disclosed that there are no more active Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the municipality following the discharge from the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) of the two remaining patients after testing negative for the deadly virus.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda disclosed that the latest COVID patients to be discharged from the local health facility was the 79-year old stroke patient and his 46-year old son who were given the simple send off ceremonies by Gov. Melchor D. Diclas, Mayor Salda, BeGH chief of hospital Dr. Meliarazon Dulay and boardmember Juan Nazaro, Jr.
Salda added that the two COVID-19 patients were brought to their residence in San Luis, Ugo, La Union through the use of the hospital’s ambulance after being given the clean bill of health by hospital authorities following their two negative test results from the reverse transmission polymerase chain reaction machine based at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC).
The 79-year old stroke patient, who was confined at the Pines City Doctors hospital from February to March 2020, was brought to the residence of his in law in Balili barangay before being transferred to another residence in barangay Puguis prior to testing positive for the deadly virus.
After several days, his 46-year old son tested positive for the deadly virus that paved the way for them to be both confined in the local health facility.
La Trinidad accounted for all of the 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province prior to the twin cases from Itogon this week .
“We are relieved after our remaining COVID-19 patients were discharged that resulted to the no active COVID-19 case not only in the municipality but also in the whole province to date,” Mayor Salda stressed.
While there are still a number of suspected or probable COVID-19 cases in the municipality who are still awaiting their swab test results from the BGHMC, he said that municipal and provincial officials as well as health authorities are keeping their fingers crossed that there will be no more confirmed COVID-19 cases that will come from the municipality and the province to allow the ongoing transition from the prevailing GCQ to possibly modified GCQ to allow the local economy to gradually recover.
Benguet recorded the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in the Cordillera behind Baguio city which registered some 32 cases with 29 of them being able to fully recover from the highly contagious virus.
Salda claimed that it will be the health department that will declare that the municipality and the province will be free from the deadly virus but the municipal government will still remain aggressive in the implementation of stringent community quarantine policies that will contribute in efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in the locality as what is now being prioritized is the calibrated and gradual return of the operation of businesses to spur the local economic growth.
By Hent
