By Glazyl Masculino BACOLOD CITY - Three persons under nvestigation (PUIs) and 19 persons under monitoring (PUMs) were reported for suspected infection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) here. Dr. Julius Drilon, medical chief of Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, in a press conference at Bacolod City Government Center Thursday. (GLAZYL MASCULINO/MANILA BULLETIN) Dr. Grace Tan, spokesperson of Bacolod City Task Force against COVID-19, said on Thursday that the three PUIs were all Filipinas who had travel history to Taiwan, Singapore, and Pasay City. The three PUIs were confined, and currently under isolation at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) here while waiting for the results of their swab tests from the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM). Dr. Julius Drilon, medical chief of CLMMRH, said that one of the PUIs was a staff of the Provincial Capitol who attended a Philippine Councilor’s League (PCL) national congress in Pasay City. On Thursday, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has authorized the staff of the Vice Governor’s Office and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to leave their respective offices early that day, after a Technical Assistant was identified as a PUM. As a precautionary measure, these offices were closed for sanitation and disinfection, while other transactions were entertained at the Capitol that day. Although the patient did not exhibit flu-like symptoms, Drilon said she was considered a PUI because of her travel to a COVID-19-affected area in Manila. “She was not allowed to be discharged from the hospital because she had to be observed based on the protocol,” Drilon said. She was complaining of an itchiness in her throat, he added. Due to the public’s concern on the disease, Drilon said they were on heightened alert and have already intensified their protective mechanism. Drilon said they even started to limit the number of hours and days of visitation at the hospital since Wednesday. We’re doing this not for ourselves but this is for everybody, he said. He also said that the hospital can accommodate 15 PUIs, and was continuously preparing their equipment and supplies in the event of a worst case scenario. He said they were also targeting to train 600 medical health workers next week for them to be equipped on the proper handling of PUIs and other basic procedures. “Do not panic because we’re not dying,” he said. He added that those people who may have been infected with the virus can survive, provided they have strong immune system. He advised the public to maintain a healthy lifestyle by getting enough rest, doing proper hygiene and sanitation, eating healthy food, and taking vitamins (if necessary). “We expect that people will cooperate especially in times like this,” he said. Meanwhile, Tan also said that they were closely monitoring a total of 19 PUMs who were all in good stable condition while undergoing self quarantine. Tan said that persons who may have travel history or contact with these people should submit themselves for self quarantine to lessen the exposure. A female teenager from E.B. Magalona town, who was earlier identified as PUI was now classified as a PUM, after medical results showed that her fever was due to a urinary tract infection (UTI). She, however, underwent more tests for confirmatory. Her mother and sister whom she had a close contact, were also advised to undergo a self-quarantine. Tan said that Bacolod and Negros Occidental have no confirmed case of COVID-19.