Adiong: No Coronavirus disease in Lanao Sur

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL YAHYA

February 20, 2020

MARAWI CITY: The Office of the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur said that there had been no reported or confirmed cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the province.

Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong, Jr., in a statement issued on Monday, said the admitted Person Under Monitoring (PUM) who was reported to have traveled to Macau, has completed the 14-day quarantine and shown no signs and symptoms of the COVID-19.

“Another patient,” Adiong said, “who is a Person Under Investigation (PUI) with travel history to Taiwan has tested negative on two oral swabs, based on results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila.”

He said both patients have been discharged over the weekend.

“We would like to reiterate that currently, there have been no reported or confirmed cases of the Coronavirus disease 2019,” said the provincial governor.

Regarding COVID-19 as a matter of serious and urgent concern, Adiong ordered the creation of the Lanao del Sur Inter-Agency Task Force Against the Novel Coronavirus (n-CoV) Acute Respiratory Disease (ARD) to establish precautionary measures and outline specific courses of action to contain and handle COVID-19 cases.

In Marawi City, the city government of Marawi earlier belied reports circulating on Social Media about a person infected with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCOV) to have entered the Islamic city.

Mayor Majul U. Gandamra said on the Facebook official page of Marawi City Government that the news circulating in Social Media is not true.

“Unfortunately,” the announcement posted on Friday, February 10, said, “there is one case of PUM or Person Under Monitoring who is presently home-quarantine.” It did not elaborate.

A Person is Under Investigation (PUI) if he shows signs of nCOV symptoms like coughing or respiratory conditions, cold, flu and body pains and if he comes from an area where there is a confirmed case of the virus like China.

While a person is considered Person Under Monitoring (PUM) if he comes from an area where there is a confirmed case of the virus like China even if he does not show any symptom.

Gandamra advised residents to stay calm in this situation and be keenly observant in reading and understanding information spreading in Social Media, especially on information creating panic and fear among the city constituents. (RSP)