17 of 24 PUIs negative for Covid-19 in Cordi

 No confirmed case in region 

By Liza Agoot  

COVID-19 IN CORDILLERA. Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, the officer in charge of the Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region, gives an update on the 2019 coronavirus disease monitoring in the region. She said out of the 24 who were placed on mandatory quarantine as persons under investigation (PUI), a total of 17 have been tested negative for the disease while the seven are still waiting for results of their laboratory test from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. (Photo courtesy of Carlito Dar/ PIA-CAR)

BAGUIO CITY-- A total of 17 out of the 24 persons under investigation (PUI) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have tested negative for the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) while seven are waiting for lab results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

In a briefing on Monday, Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, regional director of the Dept. of Health-Cordillera said 10 of those who tested negative were already discharged.

However, the seven are still at the hospital waiting for clearance to be discharged as the 14-day mandatory quarantine has yet to be completed.

Pangilinan said all PUIs have shown mild symptoms of cough, cold, sore and itchy throat and fever.

A person is listed as a PUI if they have at least two of the three criteria: travel history to countries with positive cases; show symptoms of respiratory infection; or has direct contact with a person found positive of Covid-19.

Pangilinan said there were 66 recorded cases of persons under monitoring (PUM) in the region, most of whom were females.

She said 30 were from Abra, 14 from Benguet, while the rest were from other provinces with ages ranging from 1 to 72 years old.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan said one preventive measure to contract the virus is to boost one's immune system.

"Because it’s your body that will actually curb (being infected); (it) will prevent the entry of that virus in your body,” she said.

She also advised the public to avoid close unprotected contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections and with wild or farm animals and to wash hands properly and frequently, and practice cough and sneezing etiquettes.

“When unnecessary don’t wear a mask, you give it to the hospitals for their use because they need it more,” she said.

Based on their initial price monitoring of medical supplies, she said they found out that there are drugstores that sell products beyond the suggested retail price.

She said that out of the 27 drugstores they visited in Baguio and Benguet, nine of them are selling the 250ml ethyl alcohol 70 percent solution at P45 and above.

The item is supposed to be only P41.75.

Of the 27 establishments monitored, it was found that four were selling surgical and face masks as well as N95 at much higher prices. The other establishments do not have stocks.

She said they have submitted the receipts obtained from their test-buy to the legal office for review.

Pangilinan said joint personnel from the DOH, Department of Trade and Industry, Food and Drugs Administration and the Criminal Investigation and Detection are in charge of enforcing the price freeze for items needed to prevent the spread of respiratory ailments. (With reports from Zedrick John Macario, OJT/PNA)