MANILA – Sorsogon province on Thursday recorded its first case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Governor Chiz Escudero said.

The patient is a 37-year-old Filipino seafarer who came from Miami, Florida, USA, Escudero said.

The man, who hails from Matnog town, is asymptomatic and confined at the COVID-19 ward of the Sorsogon Provincial Hospital, Escudero added.

“This triggers the protocols of the province which, among others, include: immediate contact tracing; mass quarantining of all w/contact; disinfection of the Quarantine Facility at Matnog where he stayed & giving of Vitamin C & info dissemination to all with contact or exposure,” the governor wrote on Twitter.

In its latest bulletin, the Department of Health (DOH) Region 5 said the man sought medical help at Dr. Fernando B. Duran Sr. Memorial Hospital on May 8 and was admitted that day.

The patient was not exhibiting signs of COVID-19, but underwent a swab test due to his travel history, the agency said.

To date, Bicol Region has documented 66 coronavirus infections, including a new case in Legazpi City, Albay.

The 66th patient is a 21-year-old woman who is undergoing quarantine. She is asymptomatic.

“The public is strongly advised to strictly follow community quarantine procedures as well as precautionary measures including proper handwashing, social distancing, cough etiquette, disinfection of commonly used objects, healthy lifestyle and to stay at home. Everyone’s cooperation is crucial in this time of crisis,” the DOH Region 5 said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear if the new COVID-19 cases in Bicol is part of the country's current tally of infections, which is at 11,876. Of the number, some 790 people have succumbed to the disease while 2,337 have recovered.

• PH logs 258 new COVID-19 cases, majority still from Metro Manila