COVID-19 pandemic in Soccsksargen

The COVID-19 pandemic in Soccsksargen is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus reached Soccsksargen on March 17, 2020, when the first case of the disease was confirmed in Cotabato City. The patient was officially recorded as the first case of the region. Cases has been confirmed in all component local government units of the region.

COVID-19 pandemic in Soccsksargen
Confirmed cases in Soccsksargen by locality (as of August 25)[lower-alpha 1]
  100–499 confirmed
  50–99 confirmed
  10–49 confirmed
  1–9 confirmed
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationSoccsksargen
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseCotabato City
(City part of Bangsamoro; as per DOH Region 12 records)
Arrival dateMarch 11, 2020
(10 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Confirmed cases4,937–6,107[lower-alpha 2]
Recovered4,189–5,264[lower-alpha 3]
Deaths
146–179[lower-alpha 4]
Government website
ro12.doh.gov.ph

Timeline

The first officially recorded case in Soccsksargen was patient number 145 who was confined at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City. The patient was a preacher who attended a religious event in Malaysia.[1] The case was confirmed by the Soccsksargen field office of the Department of Health (DOH Region-12) on March 17.[2] While Cotabato City is part of the Bangsamoro region. The region still covers cases in Cotabato City since the city has not yet formally turned over to the Bangsamoro regional government.

The second confirmed case in the region was Sultan Kudarat province's first case which involved a man who died from respiratory disease on March 14. The patient was posthumously confirmed to had COVID-19 infection.[1]

South Cotabato announced that it has confirmed its first case on March 31.[3]

Cotabato province announced its first case on April 6, that of a 46-year-old male who attended a cockfighting derby in Matina, Davao City[4] A day later, the city of General Santos reported its first case, also an attendee of the event in Davao City.[5]

COVID-19 has been confirmed to have spread to all component local government units in the region, with the confirmation of Sarangani's first case, that of a resident of Maitum, on May 18.[6]

On the last week of August, there was a surge of a cases in South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos City. More than 100 persons were tested positive through out the SOCSARGEN area and most of the infected individuals were fish vendors or had a history travel to General Santos Fish Port. The RIATF then ordered the temporary shutdown of the fish port.[7]

Response

South Cotabato

The provincial government of South Cotabato, through the Balik Probinsya Program and the Provincial Tourism Office organized sweeper flights and sea vessels that brought home 8,938 Locally Stranded Individuals (LSI) and 1,860 Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF) from Metro Manila, other cities and countries for a total of 10,798 as of August 27. Out of 1,632 repatriates as of June 13, 5 of them (0.3%) tested positive for COVID-19.[8][9]

As part of safety protocols, the decontamination team of the province led by the Bureau of Fire Protection immediately geared up to conduct decontamination procedures upon the arrival of the returning residents who were stranded in different cities and provinces. The procedure is part of the measures to at least minimize or prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province. LSIs and ROFs are then endorsed to their respective local government units for mandatory 14-day quarantine either at home or in LGU-designated facility.

South Cotabato was the first LGU in Soccsksargen to charter flights and sea vessels for its returning residents.[10]

On September 16, South Cotabato was reverted to GCQ in response to a sudden spike in the number of cases throughout the province.[11]

Notes
  1. Breakdown of confirmed cases is according to the COVID-19 Case Tracker of the Department of Health. Map excludes cases of the city of Cotabato in Bangsamoro which are accounted for by the Department of Health's Soccsksargen field office.
  2. 1,170 cases in Cotabato City
  3. 1,075 recoveries in Cotabato City
  4. 33 deaths in Cotabato City

References
  1. "Sexagenarian is third Covid-19 positive patient in Region 12". Philippine News Agency. March 25, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  2. "Cotabato City records first COVID 19 case in R12". Philippine Information Agency. March 18, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. Osano, Roel (March 31, 2020). "South Cotabato confirms 1st positive Covid-19 case". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  4. "North Cotabato reports 1st Covid-19 positive case". Philippine News Agency. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  5. "General Santos City reports first COVID-19 case". CNN Philippines. April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  6. "Sarangani records first coronavirus case". Philippine News Agency. May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  7. "Shutdown of GenSan fish port operations eyed due to COVID-19 cases". Rappler. August 28, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  8. "S. Cotabato charters flights to bring 300 stranded residents home". Malaysia Sun. June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  9. "Official Facebook page of the Provinvial Government of South Cotabato". Facebook. June 15, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  10. "S. Cotabato charters flights to bring 300 stranded residents home". Philippine Information Agency. June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  11. "Official Facebook page of the Provinvial Government of South Cotabato". Facebook. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
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