MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed that community transmission of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines has already happened.
Community-based transmission is declared when a person is diagnosed with the disease despite not having been to a high-risk area and not having been in contact with any other confirmed cases.
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As of Monday night, the Department of Health had tallied 140 patients who had tested positive for COVID-19.
READ: Philippines reports new COVID-19 recovery as cases rise to 142
When the first three cases of the virus were confirmed in late January, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was careful to point out that all the patients had travel history to Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.
Thus, he said, the three patients were classified as "imported cases" or cases where the patients were infected abroad and not locally.
When local transmission was declared by the Health department earlier this week, this indicated that the virus was spreading among Filipinos on Philippine soil but that contact tracing was still possible as authorities are still able to track a clear trail of the spread of the virus.
"However, once there is sustained community transmission — or an increasing number of local cases whose links cannot be established — the strategy will be shifted from an intensive contact tracing to the implementation of community-level quarantine (or lockdown), and/or possibly, suspension of work or school," the DOH said in a statement on Saturday.
Mainland Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine until midnight of April 13, meaning strict home quarantine in all households as well as the suspension of transportation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
If you believe you have come into possible contact with infected patients, you may be directed to the proper office of the Department of Health for advice through the following lines: (632) 8651-7800 local 5003-5004 or (632) 165-364.
You may also opt to call the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine at (02) 8807-2631/ 8807-2632/ 8807-2637.