DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 May) – The six latest confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Davao City have exposure to Agdao Public Market, prompting the city government to shut down the wet market for seven days to conduct disinfection and initiate health screening on vendors and other workers.
Mayor Sara Duterte said during her live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that at least 300 vendors had undergone the health screening initiated by the City Health Office in consultation with epidemiologists to detect who among them might have contracted the highly contagious disease.
The health screening included the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and a random “swabbing” for the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, considered as the gold standard in the detection of the COVID-19 positives.
“We closed our public market because we have six confirmed positives, and we’ve noticed in their patient history, they have exposure to Agdao Public Market. It’s a common thing to all six of them,” the mayor said.
She said the wet market was closed starting 5 p.m. last Saturday. She added she would consult the epidemiologists if the local government could reopen the market or extend the closure for another seven days.
Duterte said vendors also received food packs from the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
As of Monday, the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city reached 235, with the addition of 16 new cases. Of the total, 99 are active cases, 111 recovered, and 25 died.
Barangay Agdao is classified as among the seven very high-risk barangays in the city. The six others are Barangay 23-C, Bucana, Buhangin Proper, Cabantian, Leon Garcia, and Talomo.
High-risk barangays are Barangays 5-A, 19-B, Catalunan Grande, Maa, Matina Crossing, and Tigatto. There are also barangays classified as high-risk because of their close proximity to very high-risk barangays: Barangays 1-A, 15-B, 26-C, 31-D, 39-D, 40-D, Bago Aplaya, and Kapt. Monteverde Sr.
Moderate barangays are 3-A, 8-A, 10-A, 11-B, 12-B, 13-B, 14-B, 20-B, 21-C, 22-C, 27-C, 34-D, Angliongto, Bago Gallera, Bago Oshiro, Baliok, Calinan Proper, Catalunan Pequeño, Centro (San Juan, Agdao), Communal, Daliao, Governor Bangoy, Governor Duterte, Ilang, Indangan, Langub, Lapu-Lapu, Mabuhay(Paquibato), Matina Aplaya, Matina Pangi, Mintal, Pampanga, Panacan, Saloy, Sasa, Sto. Niño, Tacunan, Talomo River, Toril Proper, Vicente Hizon, Sr., and Wilfredo Aquino.
Other moderate risk barangays that are in close proximity to high risk barangays are Barangays 2-A, 6-A, Magtuod, Mandug, and Waan. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
