DAVAO CITY, June 1 (PIA) - Mayor Franco M. Calida of Hagonoy town in Davao del Sur, has assured that there's no local transmission in the municipality amid the two recently confirmed COVID-19 cases involving a cancer patient child and her mother.

In a phone interview, Calida said that the patients recently had constant exposure to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, where they were preparing for the blood transfusion of the child.

"Pa balik-balik sila sa SPMC, about three to four days, because the child is a cancer patient and she needed blood transfusion," he stated.

The ten-year old female cancer patient is the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Hagonoy.

The child, who manifested symptoms on May 26, 2020, was reported positive on May 29 along with other eight confirmed cases in Davao del Sur.

Two days after, the child's mother, 39, was confirmed and reported positive on May 31. The patient, who is asymptomatic, is the 14th and the latest confirmed COVID-19 case in the province as of Sunday.

Immediately upon learning of the first positive case, Calida bared that the father and three other children were subjected to the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) where they tested negative.

Currently, they are undergoing a 14-day home quarantine, he said.

The mother and child patients, who are residents of Barangay Hagonoy Crossing, are currently admitted at SPMC.

The mayor said that the LGU has extended assistance to the family.

Meanwhile, Calida disclosed that the implementation of the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) has commenced today (June 1) in the municipality.

As the community quarantine guidelines are now more relaxed, the mayor appealed to his constituents to always be vigilant and be extra mindful of observing the "new normal" such as wearing face masks, observing physical distancing and sanitation and hygiene.

He said that he has also asked the religious groups and institutions to conduct their mass activities gradually, to start off by only ten percent of attendance of their members/followers until they can hold 50% mass attendance as allowed in the MGCQ guidelines.

As of this writing, Davao del Sur has a total of 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with a breakdown: Digos City (9); Matanao (1); Hagonoy (2); Sulop (1); and Bansalan (1).

The first two cases from Digos City and Matanao, both reported on March 30 and who had exposure to Matina Gallera in Davao City, had recovered. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)