Cotabato mayor appeals to ‘close contact’ of Covid-19 patients

                                     Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi 

COTABATO CITY --- Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has appealed to persons who had close contact with two health front-liners of the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center here, who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), to report to health authorities.

The two nurses – one male and one female – tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, she said.

Sayadi said the two health workers had been to several places in the city before testing positive for the disease.

The male nurse is a regular marketer of the regional hospital and could have contracted the virus at the city public market.

On the other hand, the female nurse had attended a “kanduli” (thanksgiving party) in one of the villages in the city before catching the virus.

“You know who you have (been) in close contact with, if ever, please see your barangay health center or report to the city health office,” Sayadi said.

She downplayed speculations of possible local transmission, saying it was too early to tell.

“Two nurses with Covid-19 working in the same hospital could not let alone prove the existence of local transmission,” Sayadi said.

She has ordered the reimposition of the “No Movement Sunday” in the city starting August 16 to disinfect and decontaminate public places. (WITH A REPORT FROM NOEL PUNZALAN/ EDWIN FERNANDEZ, PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE')