THE provincial government has asked the national government to start providing test kits to the province to check and validate increasing suspected cases.

Governor Amado Espino III said the test kits will enable the provincial government to test as many so that persons positive or symptomatic of the virus can be immediately isolated and prevent contagion.

The governor reiterated his appeal to the national government in a radio interview over DZMM anchored by Noli de Castro.

He told the radio audience that four persons were already confirmed as COVID-19 cases, two of whom already died: a 70-year-old balikbayan woman from Rosales town and a 77-year-old man, a doctor, from Bayambang.

Meanwhile, two more persons were found positive with COVID-19: a 54-year old woman and a 70-year-old man, both from Malasiqui, but both are slowly recovering and are in stable condition.

The 54-year-old woman, is a nurse of Dr. Henry Fernandez of Bayambang, who died of COVID-19. Fernandez claims he may have been infected when he met his relatives in Manila who came from the United States. (There was still no report on the condition of Mrs. Fernandez who had been exposed to her husband).

Espino said they have already completed 80 percent contact-tracing of those who may have in contact with Dr. Fernandez and were told to observe 14-day quarantine in their respective homes. Bayambang, particularly the barangay where Dr. Fernandez came from, is now under total lockdown.

All the contacts made by the 70-year-old balikbayan from Rosales had already been traced and were told to observe 14-day quarantine.

“As of now, nobody among those who the COVID-19-positive persons had a contact with the patients manifested any symptoms of the disease,” Espino said.

The governor said, as of March 25, the province listed 33 Patients Under Investigation (PUIs), 20 of whom had already been discharged by various hospitals, leaving only 13 still under isolation and observation.

On report of owners of trucks loaded with agricultural commodities such as rice, corn, vegetables and fish, particularly bangus that checkpoints do not allow them to pass through, Espino clarified that all checkpoints in Pangasinan is complying with the order of the national government to allow them unhampered passage. (Leonardo Micua)

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