The number of community-transmitted COVID-19 cases in Bohol is on the rise.

Governor Art Yap late Tuesday night announced that the province recorded its seventh community transmission case of COVID-19 in one week.

According to Yap, the latest COVID-19 case is a resident of Sagbayan but is employed in Bilar.

The person had no travel history.

“Dili siya LSI og OFW. Wa ta kahibaw kung asa siya natakdan o kinsa ang nakatakod niya,” Yap said.

The governor said that mayors of both towns, Mayor Restituto Suarez, Jr. of Sagbayan and Mayor Awe Jayectin of Bilar, have been informed of the new case while the COVID-positive individual has been placed in an isolation facility.

“Gipadayon ang contact tracing nila. Importante mahibaw-an ang mga tawong possibleng kauban sa buhat sa pasyente sa Bilar, para sila pud, atong ma-isolate og ma-contact trace,” Yap said.

Contract-tracing of the six previous community cases were completed but authorities have failed to pinpoint how they were infected and trace the virus’ original carrier.

The same goes for two earlier community cases, a 60-year-old woman from Tagbilaran and an 89-year-old man from Calape who both had no recent travel history amid the travel restrictions.

The woman recovered and the man died while infected with the virus with authorities not knowing how they contracted the disease.

Prior to the seven new cases, most of the province’s COVID-19 infections were detected in locally stranded individuals.

Yap reminded the public to continue to be vigilant against the virus which “does not rest” as he made his COVID-19 announcement on the 166th Bohol Day.

“Kini nagpamatuod na wa magpahuway ang COVID-19 ug di pud mo respeto sa atong kasaulugan sa atong 166hth Bohol Day anniversary,” he said.

The governor, in a meeting with mayors after the Bohol Day commemoration, also called on local government units to strictly implement health protocols including the wearing of face masks and observance of good personal hygiene.