Davao del Sur: The Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-Davao) reported that two patients under investigation (PUIs) in the region for suspected coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have died.
DOH-Davao has yet to release additional details on the two fatalities in Davao Region. As of Tuesday evening, March 17, DOH-Davao was still waiting for their results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Based on the DOH-Davao update as of 6 p.m. on March 17, the number of patients under investigation (PUI) climbed to 61 wherein a total of 28 were admitted and 31 have been discharged after they tested negative.
On the other hand, persons under monitoring (PUM) have gone up to 2,396 wherein 217 of them were cleared while 2,178 are under observation.
DOH-Davao earlier confirmed the first Covid-19 case in Tagum City. The health department added that the 21-year-old Filipina is now in stable condition.
Following the report, contact tracing was launched to prevent local transmission.
In the region, only the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City and Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City are allowed to cater to PUIs.
In an interview Wednesday with Ricardo Audan, SPMC Chief of Clinics and Health Emergency Management Bureau coordinator, the Covid-19 testing kits have arrived in their facility.
This will enable their hospital to immediately detect if the PUIs, admitted in their isolation facility and intensive care unit, are positive or negative for the highly infectious disease.