The Province of Davao Oriental has registered today ONE new positive case for the coronavirus disease, bringing the total number of the current active cases in the province to 13.

This was confirmed by the Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 after receiving yesterday evening the official report from the Southern Philippines Medical Center’s subnational laboratory and the Department of Health Region XI.

This newest positive case registered in the province is a 36-year-old, male Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who is a resident of the municipality of Caraga. He arrived in the province on May 29, 2020 via sweeper flight through the Balik Probinsya Program of the national government.

Fetched by the provincial government at the Davao International Airport in Davao City, the positive case was directly brought to the Quarantine Facility of the municipality of Caraga for isolation and, as per standard protocol of the Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 which is to re-swab all OFWs and returning residents despite having a RT-PCR negative test result in Manila, the said individual was again tested.

All four direct contacts, including the driver and health workers – who donned complete PPEs during the transport and swabbing – will be also be swabbed. They are all asymptomatics.

The positive case is currently asymptomatic and under strict isolation. He will be treated at the Quarantine Facility and will be subjected to another RT-PCR swab test for verification.

The Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 appeals to the public to continue practicing the minimum health standards such as wearing of facemasks, physical distancing, handwashing, and to stay home and avoid traveling or going outside the house if not necessary.