Poblacion, Lubuagan – After recording the first Covid-19 positive case in the municipality, Lubuagan Municipal Health Officer Dr. Caroline Agyao reiterated the importance of health protocols and that if contagion cannot be avoided, at least to slow down the spread of infection.
While Lubuagan is adjusting to the current situation, Agyao said they have already expected it to happen and that they are prepared for this. She further expressed that precaution should not be forgotten.
“We were expecting for them kaya lang maymayat nu mas nain-innayad latta dagiti sumrek nga ag-undergo da iti protocol nga ipapatungpal iti health ket mabalin kuma nga maiwasan kuma dijay. Tapnu maiwasan dijay nga ag-case paylaeng iti Lubuagan nga dijay kuma iti mabalin nga mabantayan kuma. It is a lesson to us,” she expressed.
Lubuagan was the only municipality in Kalinga with zero active case having no single known case since the start of the community quarantine until it recorded its first positive case on November 20 and five (05) others the following week.
The first case listed as L1 is a direct contact of two index cases that came from Baguio City who came to attend a funeral wake. L1 is a 73 year old female, married. She was referred to the Kalinga Provincial Hospital as she is symptomatic.
On November 25, 2020, three more persons tested positive, then another individual tested positive the following day. On November 30, Lubuagan recorded a new one.
“We’re still doing contact tracing and we are hoping last na yan, all are contact of 2 LSIs from baguio,” said Agyao.
L2 is a 56 year old female who is diabetic who was referred to KPH. She is also symptomatic; L3 is an 80 year old female who is showing signs and symptoms and referred to KPH; L4 is a 58 year old female who is symptomatic referred to Kalinga District Hospital (KDH) who is taking care of child whom health staff are monitoring; and L5 is a 52 year old female who is symptomatic and also referred to KDH.
Said cases were link to social gathering and failure to adhere to health triaging.
Dr. Agyao pleaded that casual or small occasions such as wakes may feel deceptively safe but “kailangan nga ag-tanang tayo. Basta adda ti gatherings ket dagiti LSI tayo, haan nga basta-basta (sumrek) uray immediate family tayo nu naggapu da talaga ijay Red Areas. We understand of course dijay kaugalian ken kultura tayo nga mabalinen, nga adu iti paniyaw kasjay but we also have to consider that their health is at stake.”
Meanwhile, she informed that there is no need to panic as these cases are already being dealt with, contact tracing and other necessary protocols to contain the spread are immediately made.
“Haan da met ketdi nakipulapol dagitoyen. Awanen in-close mi nga talaga dijay area. From the time on nga naamwan min nga nagpositive dijay duwwa nga taga Baguio nga nagsubli ulit ijay Baguio, nai-close-en dijay area dan,” she said.
Lubuagan Local Health Units together with the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams are in full alert undertaking strict monitoring of infected areas particularly in Poblacion and Uma.
Meantime, Mayor Charisma Dickpus is calling on the cooperation of the public to help the LGU especially the health personnel in the fight against the disease.
“Anya ngay garud, adda met ditan, inexpect tayon idi pay and it is a good thing ta alisto dagitoy health personnel tayo since day one and we owe them our cooperation met a piman. Because the pandemic is not over that is why we are pleading to our constituents to remain vigilant in their everyday lives. We should take the health protocols seriously uray nu kasla limmukay ti community quarantine, to protect ourselves and our family. Simple lang met, frequent washing of hands, wear face mask ken dayta unay avoiding crowds and practice social distancing,” Dickpus said.
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