It could have been all roads lead today to the simultaneous launching of the biggest ever medical mission spearheaded by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in all Bohol municipalities and this city, save for the towns of Inabanga and Loon. As for Inabanga, local officials begged off to cancel the medical mission on account to cases of A(H1N1) infection. Loon went on with its own medical mission last week after its schedule today is in conflict with its preparation for its annual fiesta celebration on September 7 and 8. This writer tried to contact Mayor Jono Jumamoy of Inabanga and Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez, brother of Mayor Lloyd Lopez of Loon through their mobile phones for comments but failed to get their response at press time last night. Reports said that officials of Inabanga decided to cancel the medical mission today and conduct it in some other time to prevent the people coming in here from being contaminated with the A(H1N1) virus.

In an interview yesterday, Dr. Fruserma Mary A. Uy of the epidermology surveillance unit of the Provincial Health Office confirmed that A(H1N1) virus may have spread to other barangays in Inabanga. But she did not say what are the barangays are affected. She said that massive information drive must be in place and put these areas under close watch so that the virus may be monitored carefully. New swab tests from some 20 school kids from different barangays have been taken to verify if this is really the A(H1N1) virus. She said that PHO may recommend to DepEd authorities to classes suspension if the situation gets worse. She said that the scenario is still not considered as an “epidemic” or “community outbreak” of the disease. Uy confirmed that four of the 15 swab tests taken earlier from 15 high school students of St Paul School here were positive in (AH1N1) virus but this is just a mild one. The virus spread so fast since it started from a single pupil of Lawis Elementary School , who was reportedly inflicted with the virus when she visited Negros . Since then, it spread to St. Paul High School students.