City Mayor Lucilo Bayron announced on Saturday morning the first confirmed case of COVID-19 presence in Palawan, involving an Australian national who had already left the city after he was discharged from Ospital ng Palawan (ONP).
Mayor Bayron identified the patient as a certain Adam Johnson, 26, who arrived in the Philippines on March 5 as a tourist before flying to Puerto Princesa City on March 7 and proceeding to Port Barton, San Vicente town.
“Itong subject natin, Adam Johnson, 26-year-old Australian na dumating sa Pilipinas noong March 5. Dumating sa Puerto Princesa City on March 7 at dumiretso sa isang munisipyo,” Bayron said.
The patient was later confined for tests at the ONP and was classified as a person under investigation (PUI) before he was cleared for discharge.
The patient was reportedly discharged from the ONP on March 15 and checked in at Hue Hotel before departing for Clark International Airport in Pampanga via AirSwift Airlines that left the Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPIA) on March 17 en route to Australia.
“Noong March 13, nagkasakit at nagpatingin sa isang midwife, tapos diniretso na sa ospital sa city. Kinuhaan ng sample March 14. March 15 lumabas ng ospital dahil magse-self-quarantine daw sa hotel, at okay naman ang pakiramdam. March 17, nakalabas na ng siyudad via Clark,” he added.
Bayron announced that the city government has initiated an intensive contact tracing effort around the case as a way to contain the spread of the virus in the city.
“Nasa stage tayo ng contract tracing. Lalo na tayong dapat mag-ingat. Ang ipinaglalaban natin hindi lang sarili natin kundi ang pamilya natin at ang lungsod ng Puerto Princesa,” Bayron said. (with reports from Romar Miranda)
