The city government here registered three new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) during the first two days of the modified general community quarantine, the public information office (PIO) said on Monday, bringing the total number of infections to 35.

The PIO identified the first new case as Bernard Agbuya, who had been detained at the Baguio City Jail since May 29 after he was arrested for causing trouble in Sitio Apugan, Barangay Poliwes, which has been on lockdown since May 28.

Agbuya’s result came on Sunday after he was swabbed last Friday in a random test. He was tested negative in a rapid test which gave the go-signal for his detention in the jail.

Agbuya is now confined to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC).

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said “contact tracing started… to that person / s who visited the Baguio City Jail-male dorm response team post from May 29-31, 2020 please coordinate immediately to the Baguio City Health Office or the Baguio City Police Office contact tracing team.”

Jail Insp. Paul Balag-ey said that 84 of which 39 are persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and 45 personnel of the BCJ had undergone swabbing tests and are now under the required 14-day quarantine.

Balag-ey is the 86th who has undergone swabbing awaiting results.

The BCJ personnel are now confined at the Baguio Teachers Camp for their quarantine.

He added that the disinfection process was immediately done at the city jail, while the minimum health protocols are continued to be observed not just by personnel but also by the 332 detainees.

“Although we cannot implement social distancing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the other new case is Ailene Doria, 28, from City Camp Central who had a history of travel to San Fernando, La Union last May 26. She was asymptomatic but had suspicious pneumonia based on the chest X-ray at the triage, the PIO said.

She came from San Fernando, La Union where she stayed in a company-appointed boarding house in the said city starting May 26 to wait for the confirmation of her travel date to Baguio, which arrived on May 29.

Doria was in her hometown of Binmaley, Pangasinan since March 16 when Baguio was declared under an enhanced community quarantine prior to her three-day stay in La Union.

Doria complied with Returning Baguio Residents and Workers process and underwent triage at the Saint Vincent gym upon arrival, the PIO said.

At the triage, she underwent a diagnostic X-ray which showed that she had suspicious pneumonia so she underwent nasal swabbing for a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Triage doctors ordered her to undergo self-quarantine pending the arrival of her test result which turned out positive.

She said she strictly followed the advice as she was living alone.

Doria said she agreed to come out as she wanted her family, relatives and all others whom she came in contact with in the past days to be aware of her condition and to also undergo quarantine and seek medical attention to avoid infecting others.

The 35th case is a 38-year-old male nurse from the BGHMC who just came from his week-long day off and is now back for his supposed two-week duty.

Baguio has now five active cases, including the 41-year-old police major from barangay Dontogan here stationed in Camp Crame, Quezon City; a 32-year-old male nurse. Both are in stable condition.

The city has 29 recoveries, and one mortality. (PNA)

Photo Source: pna.gov.ph