Calayan town in Cagayan province has already recorded its first positive case of COVID-19 after being COVID-free for almost a year.
Mayor Joseph Llopis confirmed this in a post on the Facebook page of the Calayan Municipal Information Office on Monday.
According to the mayor, the son of a town official tested positive for COVID-19 based on the result of his RT-PCR test.
The patient was taken to a hospital that remained asymptomatic or had no symptoms of the disease.
His mother is being considered a suspected case. The woman who was vaccinated against COVID-19 is also said to be suffering from the disease.
During contact tracing, it was found that the first COVID-19 patient of Calayan may have been infected by a group of national government agencies that visited in May.
The local government has not ruled out the possibility of local transmission, so on Tuesday, Llopis issued an order for a two-week containment measure from June 7 to June 21 to prevent the spread of the virus.
Calayan, Cagayan records first cased of COVID-19 after a year
Pursuant to Executive Order Number 11 series of 2021, all those who possibly come in contact with a COVID-19 test are required to undergo a 14-days home quarantine.
While those who experience symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, and difficulty breathing are advised to contact the Municipal Health Office immediately or contact 0963-634-1027.
Exit and entry into the town will be subject to strict regulations where only emergency cases will be allowed, and those who come or go home are required to have the results of the RT-PCR test.
Barangay authorities and officials have been instructed to ensure that residents comply with minimum health standards such as wearing a face mask and social distancing.
It is also strictly forbidden to gather in large numbers or mass gatherings.
The activities of national government agencies and other government offices have also been suspended during the containment period.
The local government has also implemented the skeleton workforce and work from home scheme for some employees to ensure their safety.
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