The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) claimed on Monday the life of a 64-year-old female from Tabaco City, Albay province, bringing to four the total number of fatalities in Bicol, the Department of Health (DOH) regional office said on Tuesday.

Dr. Ernie Vera, DOH regional director, and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) chairman, in an interview on Tuesday, said the latest Covid-19 fatality arrived in Tabaco from Quezon City on March 11 and started to feel ill on April 15.

She was admitted to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) on April 20 and tested positive of the virus on April 22.

Vera said they are “still establishing complete contact tracing” to determine whether the fatality had come close to a confirmed Covid-19 case.

The DOH Covid Tracker showed a total of 35 confirmed coronavirus cases in Bicol, with 26 recoveries, four still admitted at two isolation facilities, one home-quarantined, and four coronavirus associated death cases.

The region also has 226 suspect cases who tested negative for Covid-19, while there are 27 still awaiting test results, of whom 16 are in Albay, four in Camarines Norte, five in Camarines Sur and two in Sorsogon. (PNA)