Bohol on Tuesday recorded another COVID-19 death while the total number of active cases in the province spiked to 127 from 90 on Friday last week.

The new fatal case raised the number of COVID-19 deaths in the province to 11.

According to Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force spokesman Dr. Yul Lopez, the new COVID-19 death was reported at the Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay.

The new COVID-19 fatality was a 68-year-old man from Tubigon who had “pre-existing” conditions.

“Na-igo ni siya sa COVID pneumonia, ang cause of death septic shock secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia, positibo sa COVID,” said Lopez.

Lopez said that most of the 127 active cases were locally stranded individuals, APORs (authorized person outside of residence) and OFWs (overseas Filipino worker) at 97 while 30 were identified to be local transmission.

Meanwhile, it was noted that almost half of the active cases in the province were Philippine Army personnel who accounted for 53 of the total figure.

The COVID-infected soldiers were undergoing training at the Gov. Lino Chatto Camp in Barangay Macaas, Tubigon.

“Kini man gong training karon and schooling sa atong mga army especially kining due for promotion naa pagahimua karon sa Camp Lino Chatto unya naay nagpositibo sa kaso unya sad to say, dali kaayo ni takod sa daghan na mga kauban niini most especially so kay usa kini ka Army barracks,” he said.  

Lopez noted that 10 initially tested positive in a routine PCR testing for the soldiers, some of whom were APORs from other localities.

The rest were found positive during contact-tracing efforts.

All of the soldiers who were infected with the highly contagious virus have been isolated and were noted to have been asymptomatic.

“Ang importante lang is put them in isolation aron dili na makatakod sa lain,” he said.

Lopez assured that the rest of the soldiers and personnel in the camp were tested for the disease as part of contact-tracing efforts.

The Municipal Health Office of Tubigon noted that there are more than 100 Philippine Army personnel stationed at Camp Chatto.

Meanwhile, the town of Sierra Bullones was also pinpointed as one of the major sources of active cases in the province with 14.

Their close contacts however have been tested and were all found out to be negative for the disease.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the province has been on the rise.

From just 36 cases on Friday two weeks ago, the record rose to 90 by the end of last week.