7 Negrense soldiers from Cebu test positive for COVID-19

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) announced on Saturday that seven members of the 32nd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) under the 302nd Infantry Brigade (IBde) based in Negros Oriental, who came from Cebu, tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Major Cenon Pancito III, 3ID spokesperson, said that the seven soldiers were among the 40 military troopers who returned to the province on board a Navy vessel on June 23, 2020.

Pancito said that these soldiers were part of the augmentation troops who were earlier assigned to quarantine control points in Cebu to help other Army frontliners fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pancito said that the military troopers returned to the province as they were needed by the 302nd IBde in anti-insurgency efforts.

They were immediately brought to a quarantine facility and the soldiers didn’t interact with anyone when they arrived here.

However, seven of them manifested symptoms a few days later while in quarantine.

He said that swab tests were conducted, and the results came out last Friday, indicating that they were positive for the virus.

The 33 other soldiers, who were believed to be asymptomatic, also underwent swab tests, but the results are still pending, he added.

He said that persons who were with the soldiers on the vessel were already informed and will also be subjected to swab extraction and testing.