CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The first COVID-19 death in Floridablanca, a first-class municipality some 18 kilometers west of this capital city near the Zambales mountain ranges, was a cockfighting aficionado who arrived recently from Davao City.
Pedro Mendoza, 41, a businessman and cockfighting aficionado and also a resident of Barangay Mabical, Floridablanca died from the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday morning, according to reports emanating from the town.
Mendoza’s companion, a certain Boy Leachon, a resident of Manila, died a day earlier, according to the source.
Both fatalities, Mendoza and Leachon, arrived in Pampanga on March 15 from Davao City, where they attended a six-cock derby at the Davao Matina Galeria cockpit.
Reports from Davao City said the owner of the cockpit in Matina Galeria also allegedly died of COVID-19, but as of press time, there was no confirmation on his death.
On Wednesday last week, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio confirmed many cockfight-enthusiasts submitted themselves for medical consultation at the health offices in Sta. Ana and Crossing Bayabas, Toril in Davao City after she called their attention to undergo check-up and quarantine if they happened to be in Matina Gallera last March 6 to 13, 2020.
The mayor said doctors told her that four persons with COVID-19 like-symptoms mentioned Matina Gallera as one of the places they had been to during the initial medical consultation.
Duterte-Carpio said it is the reason why she urged those in Matina Galleria in March 6 to do proper consultation with the health centers in Sta. Ana and Crossing Bayabas in Toril and to isolate themselves from other people if they experienced symptoms like flu, colds, coughs and loose bowel movement.
The mayor was quoted as saying: “I dispatched the police in these respective health centers to ensure order in these areas as cockfight enthusiasts come in drove.”
She said the doctors informed her that one patient who was critically-ill revealed that he had been to Matina Galleria.
She said another patient also said he had been to Matina Galleria.
The mayor said one person under investigation who refused to undergo medical check-up despite showing symptoms also admitted in his medical history that he had been to the Matina Galleria.
Duterte-Carpio said another person who got hold of a rapid testing kit and found positive with COVID-19 also revealed that he had been to the Matina Galleria.
“Though the one who died still did not have result, but his presentation is highly suspect of COVID-19,” Duterte-Carpio said.
She said that as a safety precaution, the doctor issued the advisory saying that if cockfight enthusiasts have been to Matina Gallera from March 6 to March 13, they need to isolate themselves.
Duterte-Carpio said if persons in Matina Galleria feel symptoms like flu, cough, colds and loose bowel movement, they can immediately proceed to the health centers in Crossing Bayabas in Toril, or Sta. Ana fronting the Magsaysay Park.
She said that if they don’t have symptoms after going to the cockfight pit from March 6 to 13, they only need to isolate themselves from other people in a room and to undergo self-quarantine up to 14 days.
“If you don’t feel symptoms, you asked yourself the day you went there, have yourself quarantined for 14 days before getting near other persons,” Duterte-Carpio said.