Sta Rita municipal gov't in Pampanga confirms first coronavirus case

PAMPANGA, Philippines- The Sta. Rita municipal government in Pampanga on Sunday, April 5, confirmed its first coronavirus case, and its mayor immediately appealed for “compassion and not discrimination”.

Mayor Ferdinand Salalila said that the patient is from Barangay San Basilio who was initially admitted to a private hospital in the San Fernando City on March 17 and transferred to a government hospital on the same day due to severe symptoms.

On April 3, test results showed that the patient was positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

“In compliance with the Data Privacy Act, we cannot reveal the name or the exact address of the patient. Currently, the patient’s condition is improving. Since yesterday, we already undertook the DOH (Department of Health) protocol on contact tracing. We already identified all those who had contact with the patient and are now under quarantine and closely being monitored,” Salalila said.

“As a member of the Ritenan (Sta Rita resident) family, we are asking for your prayers for our patient. What we need right now is compassion and not discrimination; loving and not bashing,” the mayor added.

(READ: Coronavirus patients urged to waive confidentiality: ‘Being diagnosed not a crime, stigma’)

Pampanga province COVID-19 cases update as of April 5. Photo from Pampanga PIO Facebook page

As of Sunday, Pampanga has 24 COVID-19 cases, with 6 fatalities. The patients who succumbed to the disease were from Floridablanca, Bacolor, City of San Fernando, Apalit and Candaba.

The new COVID-19 cases include 1 each in the towns of Porac and Santa Rita and 2 in the City of San Fernando.

Also on Sunday afternoon, the Department of Health (DOH) said that there were 3,246 coronavirus cases in the country, with 152 deaths. The recoveries have gone up to 64. – Rappler.com