Four more residents of Region 12 (Soccsksargen) have tested positive for the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), bringing the confirmed cases in the area to seven.

Arjohn Gangoso, health education and promotion officer of the Department of Health (DOH)-Region 12, said Thursday two of the new Covid-19 cases were from Cotabato City and one each in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces.

Gangoso said these were based on the confirmatory test results received by the agency from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) laboratory in Davao City as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Gangoso said the fourth Covid-19 case (PH 2173) was a 52-year-old male from South Cotabato that was initially confirmed by the Integrated Provincial Health Office last Tuesday.

The patient, who was in stable condition and under home quarantine in Tboli town, returned home from Manila through a passenger vessel via Cagayan de Oro City and arrived in the area last March 16.

He said the fifth case (PH 2235) was a 56-year-old male from Cotabato City with a history of travel to Pampanga and Davao City while the sixth (PH 2236) was a 46-year-old male from the same city who had traveled to Davao City.

Both patients are currently admitted at the isolation facility of the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Cotabato City.

Gangoso said the seventh case (PH 2240), a 21-year-old female from Sultan Kudarat, who arrived from Manila last March 15, was listed in stable condition and undergoing strict home quarantine.

Two of the three initial confirmed Covid-19 cases in the region were also from Cotabato City (PH 145 and PH 599) and the other was a patient under investigation (PUI) from Sultan Kudarat (PH 600) who died while still awaiting laboratory confirmation.

Gangoso said in a radio interview that PH 145 and PH 599 remained under home quarantine and closely monitored by local health personnel.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, he said some 29 PUIs for Covid-19 were admitted in various hospitals in the region while 100 others were under home quarantine.

At least 309 were considered as persons under monitoring (PUM) and have yet to complete their mandatory 14-day home quarantine, he said.

“We’re were still waiting for the test results of the remaining PUIs,” he said, noting that they have set a weekly schedule for the sending of samples to the SPMC for laboratory confirmation.

Gangoso said they have not recorded any case of Covid-19 infection “in the line of duty” among health care workers in the region.

He said none among the medical front-liners who were earlier exposed or had direct contact with Covid-19 patients have so far manifested any sign and symptom of the deadly disease.

“As of the moment, they are under strict monitoring and on hospital quarantine,” he added. (PNA)