Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, on Wednesday, said five of the 33 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines are within the same family of the city.
Teodoro said in an interview with Unang Balita that the wife and some household workers of the American who was first diagnosed with COVID-19 now also tested positive of the virus.
“Isang kaso nga lang meron tayo sa Marikina. Pero bago matapos ang araw umakyat ito sa lima. ‘Yung apat na under investigation natin, nag-positibo. Within the same family sila,” he said.
(We only have one case in Marikina. But before the day ended, it jumped to five. The four patients who were under investigation tested positive. They are within the same family.)
According to the mayor, the first case was an American from San Diego, California, who returned to the Philippines. He had a layover flight in South Korea before arriving in the country on February 19.
“Tapos, March 6, pinasok sa hospital dahil na-diagnose nga na may pneumonia. March 9, na-confirm na confirmed case siya,” he added.
(He was admitted to the hospital on March 6 because he was diagnosed with pneumonia. On March 9, it was confirmed that he was infected on COVID-19.)
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COVID-19 patients within same family in Marikina
Teodoro said that most of the infected patients are elderly.
“Puspusan na ang contact-tracing na ginagawa natin. Kailangan mabilis at timely para hindi na sila magkaroon ng further transmission,” he said.
(The contact-tracing we do is in full swing. It needs to be fast and timely, so they don’t have further transmission.)
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, on Tuesday, said that two patients are intubated and in critical condition, including an 86-year-old American.
Yesterday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines jumped from 24 to 33, DOH reported.