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80 percent of contacts of Fil-Australian COVID-19 case already traced


Local authorities in Pangasinan have traced 80 percent of the contacts of a Filipino-Australian who attended two big events in Lingayen and Dagupan and later on tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The New South Wales government announced on March 5 that a woman in her 60s with a history of travel to the Philippines tested positive for COVID-19 upon her return to Australia.

The woman stayed in Pangasinan from February 22 to 23 and went to Manila before returning to Australia on March 2, according to a Tuesday report on 24 Oras by Jun Veneracion.

“Ang paniniwala po namin… na timeline is that noong dumating siya sa Pangasinan ay hindi siya infected, bagkus nakuha po niya ang infection sa Manila,” Pangasinan provincial health officer Dr. Anna de Guzman said.

All of the contacts that have been traced so far have not developed symptoms of COVID-19.

The remaining contacts of the Filipino-Australian woman have either exited the country or have gone home to their respective provinces.

Pangasinan authorities stressed that the province remains COVID-19 free but admitted that residents began to fear for their health when the news of the case broke out.

“Siyempre may paranoia, nag-pa-panic na baka meron na. So, that’s why are trying to calm our people na wag mag-alala because the government is making sure that everyone is safe,” Lingayen Vice Mayor Judy Vargas Quiocho said.

The local government is still awaiting the results of the testing done samples taken from two migrant workers and one balikbayan who are currently confined after showing COVID-19 symptoms.

Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil earlier announced that he tested negative for COVID-19.

He underwent voluntary isolation because he attended the high school reunion along with the Filipino-Australian case.

The Philippines has 33 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News

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