Marawi records 8 new COVID-19 cases, all came from Metro Manila

Marawi City has recorded eight new COVID-19 cases, all of them recent arrivals from Metro Manila, after over a month of zero reported cases.

According to Mayor Majul Gandamra, the eight were either locally stranded individuals (LSI) or repatriated overseas Filipinos (ROF) who arrived in Marawi City on June 3 on board a Cebu Pacific flight and June 5 on board an Air Asia flight.

The eight -- five females and three males -- were fetched from the airport and brought directly to a community quarantine facility, Gandamra said.

There has been no reported new COVID-19 cases in the city for over a month before the arrival of the eight, Gandamra added, as he appealed to the national government to ensure that LSIs and ROFs are properly tested before sending them to their home provinces.

"Ang aking apila po sa national government, bago po natin pauwiin itong mga kababayan natin dito sa mga provinces and cities or municipalities, ay dapat po don sa point of origin ay nag undergo ng testing, rapid testing or even itong PCR testing," he said.

The eight new cases, who are all asymptomatic, are currently in isolation at a quarantine facility in Barangay Sagonsongan. Contact tracing is already being conducted on those aboard the same flights.

According to Dr. Ali Dalidig, city health officer, Marawi has 15 COVID--19 cases, but dismissed insinuations that the eight new cases can be considered as "second wave" of transmissions in the city.

"Hindi ko masabi na nasa second wave because all the positive [are] coming from outside Marawi, wala tayong local transmission," Daligdig said. --Merlyn Manos/KBK, GMA News