Cotabato City (April 29, 2020)—As of April 23, 2020, there has been no new confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said Ministry of Health (MOH) Minister Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan today, April 29.
During Wednesday’s virtual presser held here, Minister Dipatuan stated, “out of 10 confirmed cases in the region, five (5) of these have already recovered, three (3) died, and two (2) are still Covid-19 positive.”
Minister Dipatuan also clarified the issue aired in a media outlet regarding the two confirmed patients that have been confined in Northern Mindanao Medical Center.
“Gusto ko lang linawin ang lumalabas na fake news, na ang BARMM ang nagsabi na yung pangalawang case ng confirmed case ng Covid-19 ay naka confined sa Amai Pakpak Medical Center. Hindi po totoo ‘yun. Baka nagkaroon lang ng di pagkakaunawaan,” he said.
(I would like to clarify about the circulating fake news that BARMM reported the second confirmed case of Covid-19 is currently confined in Amai Pakpak Medical Center. That is not true. Perhaps, there was a misunderstanding.)
According to Dipatuan these two (2) individuals are, in fact, currently confined at Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City.
To date, MOH have recorded a total of 252 suspect cases of Covid-19 from March 12 to April 28, 2020.
Dipatuan underscored that of these 252 suspect cases, 232 have already been discharged. “Ang natitira lang na binabantayan natin na suspect cases ay nasa 20 nalang.”
(We are closely monitoring the remaining 20 suspect cases.)
Five (5) of these 20 suspect cases are still confined in a medical facilty, while the other 15 suspect cases are under strict home quarantine.
MOH-BARMM have also recorded five (5) probable cases in the region, noting “ang probable cases na ‘to ay hindi bagong kaso, kung hindi previously suspect cases na namatay”.
(These five (5) probable cases are not identified as new cases. These were previously identified suspect cases who already died.)
“Nagkaroon ng re-classification, kaya itong limang(5) kaso na ito ay nabansagan ngayong Probable cases. Dalawa po sa probable case na’to ay namatay pero hinihintay pa ang kanilang resulta,” he added.
(A re-classification has been made, that is why these five cases were named as Probable cases. Two of these died, but still awaiting for the result.)
Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has required the region and provinces to cast Community Isolation Facilities (CIF) for Covid-19 patients.
Early on, the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force in Marawi City has recently established a CIF that can cater 98 patients.
“Sa Maguindanao, mayroon na rin po tayong pinapatayong CIF na itatayo sa Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital na pwedeng maka accommodate ng 100 patients,” Dipatuan said.
(In Maguindanao, we have already started the construction of CIF located at Cotabato Sanitatium Hospital that can accommodate 100 Covid-19 patients.)
Last week, the Ministry of Public Works, headed by Minister Eduard Guerra, started the construction of 100-bed capacity Covid-19 Isolation Facility, which is targeted to be completed within three (3) weeks. (Bureau of Public Information)
