Twelve students have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Maguindanao, health officials said Tuesday.

The Bangsamoro Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 said that the patients were stranded students in Cebu City who came home through government's “Balik Probinsya” program.

The students, with 4 others, were fetched by the Maguindanao provincial government in Cagayan de Oro City and arrived in Maguindanao on May 15, according to Bangsamoro Health Minister Saffrullah Dipatuan.

“Pinauwi sila dito, hindi sila tinest nung nandoon sila sa Cebu City. Binigyan lang sila ng certificate na fit to travel,” said Dipatuan.

(They were sent home here but were not tested in Cebu City. They were only given certificates that they were fit to travel.)

Cebu City leads cities in the Philippines in the number of COVID-19 cases.

The students were asymptomatic when they were tested, Dipatuan said.

They were not allowed to go home but were directly sent to an isolation facility near the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital.

Authorities said the patients are from the towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak, Datu Piang, Buluan, South Upi, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Paglas and Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

To date, a total of 23 coronavirus cases have been logged in the Bangsamoro region, with 4 deaths and 7 recoveries.

The Philippines has recorded 14,669 COVID-19 cases, of whom 886 died and 3,412 others recovered.

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