Baler town confirms first Covid case

BALER town mayor Rhett Angara confirmed his first coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) case, which also happens to be the first for the province of Aurora since the outbreak of the disease in mid-March.

“We regret to inform you that we have now a [Covid-19] positive case in our municipality of Baler,” Angara said, adding the patient was brought to Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija province for treatment.

Angara said the female patient was a locally stranded individual (LSI) from Pasay City with an existing medical condition.

He said the patient came home to the province on August 4 and was subjected to strict home quarantine. But on August 9, the patient became unconscious and was rushed to the Aurora Memorial Hospital where a swab test was performed the following day.

On Wednesday, the result of the patient’s swab test came out positive. The municipal inter-agency task force implemented a temporary zoning containment within a 50-meter radius from the residence of the patient in Barangay 5, blocking all entrances and exits.

While the MITF is conducting contact tracing on up to 17 individuals who had direct contact with the patient, Angara has urged Baler town residents to strictly follow modified general community quarantine basic health protocols.

“We are hoping for your cooperation and discipline in this fight against the spread of the virus in our municipality of Baler,” Angara said.

Birthplace and hometown of former Commonwealth president Manuel Quezon, Baler town is where the Museo de Baler, which chronicles colonial history, can be found.

Quezon was born on Aug. 19, 1878 and died in Saranak Lake, New York in the United States on Aug. 1, 1944.

Baler, a known haven for surfers and bikers,  is the capital town of the province of Aurora.

Source: TheManila Times