Seven more personnel of Department of Health Region 6 (DOH-6) contracted the virus SARS-CoV-2 which causes the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, bringing to 19 the total number of those who got infected.

Dr. Mary Jane Juanico, head of DOH-6’s infectious disease cluster and designated spokesperson of the regional office, confirmed that seven more personnel were tested positive for the infection.

Two of the new positive cases were recorded yesterday while the additional two cases were recorded on January 10 and three more cases on January 11.

Juanico said that most of the 19 cases experienced symptoms of the infection, three of them are admitted in the hospital while the rest are either on home or facility quarantine.

Those personnel who are COVID-positives are residents of Iloilo City and towns of Alimodian, Oton, Pavia, and Sta. Barbara in Iloilo province.

The regional health office has a total of 170 close contacts of the confirmed cases.

Juanico also admitted that some programs of DOH-6, including the vaccination program, are affected because the infected are the regional office’s technical people./WDJ