A person under investigation (PUI) admitted in a hospital in Lanao del Sur passed away early Tuesday, before test results confirmed that he was positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an official said.

The news was confirmed by Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of Lanao del Sur Provincial Anti-COVID-19 Task Force and also a Bangsamoro Parliament member.

"Kindly refer to AMPC kasi hindi pa ata siya na-assign ng proper numbering because he was still PUI when he died. The result came in after he expired. The result was positive," said Adiong.

He said the deceased was among the 6 PUIs confined at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi CIty.

He said the patient had a travel history to Malaysia after joining a religious activity in Johor last week.

Adiong said the patient will be buried following DOH protocol and Muslim rites.

Of the province's 6 PUIs, 4 are awaiting for confirmatory tests while 2 have yet to be tested.

As of Tuesday, Marawi City and the province of Lanao del Sur have been placed under community quarantine.

The Philippines has 142 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection with 12 deaths while 3 recovered.

• Philippines' COVID-19 death toll rises to 8

The Department of Health on Saturday reported the first coronavirus fatality outside of Metro Manila in a man from Lanao del Sur.

The said patient, the 40th case in the country, died March 13 "from acute respiratory distress syndrome due to severe pneumonia" with acute kidney injury, the health department said in a statement.

The patient had been confined at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro since March 3 after experiencing symptoms on Feb. 24.