13 more soldiers in Negros Oriental test positive for COVID-19

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – Thirteen more soldiers in Negros Oriental tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total cases among military troopers here to 20.

This was confirmed on Saturday by Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID).

Pancito said that results of the swab tests of these soldiers came out early this week.

These soldiers were among the 40 military troops of the 32nd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) under the 302nd Infantry Brigade (IBde), who came from Cebu City to augment Army frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.

On July 3, seven military troopers initially tested positive for the virus.

The 20 COVID-19 positive patients were isolated in a facility in Dumaguete City and are being closely monitored by the Provincial Health Office, Pancito said.

He said that it was not established yet how they got infected.

The troops arrived in the province on June 23 on board a Navy vessel.

Pancito said that persons who had close contact with the soldiers were already quarantined.

He also said that the 20 other soldiers, who were part of the augmentation troopers, tested negative for the virus. However, they are still quarantined at their headquarters in Tanjay City.