CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga — City health authorities called on residents anew to strictly observe proper health protocols as the city recorded its first COVID-19 death on November 9.
The City Health Office reported the case was a 53-year old employee of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Provincial Office, who was exposed to a COVID-19 patient. He was swabbed last October 28 and was confined at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital due to flu symptoms and was later referred to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center due to progressing pneumonia symptoms. He had diabetes.
His remains were immediately brought home to Lamut, Ifugao to be buried within 24 hours if not cremated, based on COVID-19 national inter-agency task force guidelines.
Reports showed that the NIA provincial office had been locked down since the later part of October due to some employees who tested positive of COVID-19 and were quarantined in a facility inside the compound.
Tabuk City which is under modified general community quarantine for five months now has recorded 196 COVID-19 confirmed cases of which 161 recovered, 36 are active and one died. **By Larry Lopez, PIA CAR, Kalinga
