CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 11 October) — Cagayan de Oro’s COVID-19 cases have breached the 1,000-mark after a 37-year old female patient and her husband tested positive, Dr. Joselito Retuya, chief of the City Health Office (CHO) said.
Retuya said the couple exhibited symptoms of cough and high fever.
The CHO on Saturday released data showing that Cagayan de Oro experienced a surge of COVID-19 infections — mostly local infections — beginning August with 154 cases.
The infections quadrupled to 606 cases last September.
The CHO said 26 new cases have been reported from October 1.
City Health Officer Dr. Lorraine Nery said 970 of the cases are isolated at various Temporary Treatment Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) and city isolation units.
Cagayan de Oro has 1,200 beds in its TTMF and isolation units.
Mayor Oscar Moreno said they are monitoring closely the infection cluster at the the Del Monte Packing Plant in Barangay Bugo after 20 workers were found infected by the highly-contagious disease.
He said it would be “scary” if the virus spread among its 4,000 workers in the plant.
Local health officials said workers are among the “super spreaders” of COVID-19 here, accounting for 60 percent of the infections.
Retuya said workers return to their homes without taking a bath and washing their hands, unmindful of the health protocols.
He said the “second super spreader” of the virus are parties attended by guests who do not wear face masks
The Center for Health Development in Northern Mindanao reported a total of 3,396 cases in the region as of 3 p.m. on October 9, Out of this number, 1,005 cases are in Cagayan de Oro City, 671 of them local cases and 334 from among locally stranded individuals and returning overseas Filipinos. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
