Another repatriate dies in isolation facility

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

A 34-year-old male repatriate died in an isolation facility at Brgy. Semirara in Caluya, Antique.

According to Caluya Municipal Mayor Rigil Kent Lim, the patient, a locally stranded individual (LSI) who returned to the province, was found unresponsive early Monday morning.

“He was found to have no pulse when one of the persons under monitoring (PUMs) woke him up for their psycho-social support activity,” Lim said in an official statement.

Lim said that the Municipal Health Officer officially declared that the LSI’s cause of death was an apparent heart attack, and is not related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“The Municipal Health Officer officially declared that the cause of death is acute myocardial infarction, and non-COVID-19 related,” he said.

Based on his medical records, the patient did not exhibit any signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during his stay at the isolation facility.

The LSI, who came from Zambales, arrived in Semirara on June 4, complete with the necessary documents required by Balik Banwa Program of the municipality of Caluya.

Lim said that the patient underwent rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in Zambales where he tested negative for COVID-19.

Upon his arrival, the LSI stayed at the isolation facility in Semirara as part of the 14-day protocol.

The patient did not undergo a follow-up RDT and confirmatory test for COVID-19 since his arrival in Semirara, according to Lim.

“He has not yet undergone RDT in Semirara because he just arrived on June 4. The local government unit of Caluya is saddened by the sudden death of one of our PUMs and we wish to extend our sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy to the bereaved family,” Lim said.

On Saturday, a COVID-19 positive repatriated Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) from Anilao, Iloilo also died despite exhibiting mild signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

The 39-year-old male OFW repatriate died at the Western Visayas Sanitarium in Santa Barbara, Iloilo.

Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te, medical coordinator for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases of Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6), said the patient’s cause of death was also acute myocardial infarction or heart attack.

“Based on his death certificate, the cause of death is acute myocardial infarction with underlying pneumonia,” Te said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday.

He was the first OFW repatriate in the region who died amid the pandemic.