FIRE BUREAU UNDER FIRE: BFP offices locked down as personnel tests positive for Covid-19

By Emme Rose Santiagudo and Jennifer P. Rendon

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Regional and Iloilo City Central Offices located at Macario Peralta St. in City Proper district has been placed under extreme enhanced community quarantine (EECQ) from June 15-18, 2020 after one its employees tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

The BFP personnel, a 26-year-old female, was classified as WV Patient No. 144 by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6).

Based on her travel history, the patient arrived in Iloilo City from Cebu last June 6. She was quarantined at Go Hotel-Iloilo City.

Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te, medical coordinator for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases of DOH-CHD 6, said the patient first claimed that she was a locally stranded individual (LSI).

“Ang una niya nga ginclaim LSI siya. Actually, indi siya LSI but authorized personnel out of residence. She was advised to undergo home quarantine but she requested to be billeted in a hotel in Iloilo City instead of going home,” Te said in a phone interview on Monday.

The patient was then subjected to rapid antibody test where she tested negative for Covid-19. She also underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR).

“Pwede siya sa mag-home quarantine, pero nagayo mapadul-ong sa Go Hotel,” Te said.

From Go Hotel, the patient was pulled out by one of her acquaintances for active duty at the BFP Regional and Iloilo City Central Office.

According to Te, the patient failed to coordinate with the city government and declared inaccurate travel history.

“Based man sa report sang city government, siya mismo nagclaim nga LSI siya instead of authorized personnel. Wala man kabalo ang LGU nga nagreport siya balik sa BFP,” she said.

On June 13, the health department confirmed that the RT-PCR test results of the patient yielded positive results for Covid-19.

When the test results came in, it took the BFP a few hours to track the whereabouts of the patient, according to Te.

 

MAYOR UPSET

The alleged breach of quarantine protocols and false declaration of the patient’s travel history upset Mayor Jerry Treñas.

In a press conference on Monday, the mayor expressed his dismay on the BFP for failing to inform the city government of the patient’s whereabouts.

“I am very disappointed. I am preparing a complaint because wala nila dayon na-inform about sa ila personnel. Ang rason nila nagpaliwa-liwa pa to siya sa Esplanade,” he said.

The mayor said he will file a complaint against the BFP to the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

“I am just waiting for the incident report. Then I will be filing the complaint,” he said.

More than 100 personnel of the BFP had exposure to the confirmed case, according to the mayor.

Treñas issued executive order (EO) No. 91 on Monday mandating the BFP Regional and Iloilo City Central Office to be placed under lockdown from June 15 until June 18.

Under the EO, all BFP Personnel who were on active duty from June 9 up to present shall be on a restricted 14-day home quarantine or 14-day facility-based quarantine.

During the lockdown period, Iloilo City Covid-19 Task Force shall conduct a Covid-19 test on all personnel who rendered active duty from June 9.

The BFP Regional and Iloilo City Central Office shall also be subjected to decontamination and sanitation procedures.

All BFP personnel who shall be Covid-19 positive shall be immediately committed to the identified quarantine facility of the Iloilo City government.

Meanwhile, the health department said the patient is asymptomatic and currently under facility quarantine.

 

TESTS

Meanwhile, Fire Superintendent Crosbee Gumowang, BFP-6 assistant regional director for administration (ARDA), said that more than 30 personnel, including him, had close contact with the BFP personnel who recently tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

“I, too, am part of that personnel who will undergo swab test on Tuesday,” he said.

On Tuesday morning, Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City announced that BFP Regional Office, which is co-located with the BFP-Iloilo City Station, will be placed under lockdown for three days after one of its employees tested positive for Covid-19.

In his Facebook page, Treñas said he had a meeting with the COVID team, “and decided nga e-lockdown ang Regional Office sang BFP for 3 days after one of them turned out positive from the PCR test. As a Government Agency, It should also follow the regulations of the LGU especially as we try to control the Local Transmission of Coronavirus disease here in Iloilo City.”

Treñas subsequently issued Memorandum Order No. CMO-159, series of 2020, regarding the strict imposition of the 14-day home quarantine on all locally-stranded individuals and Overseas Filipino Workers who will arrive in Iloilo City starting June 16, 2020, onwards until a vaccine is readily available to the general public.

Appropriate disciplinary measures and possible charges may be filed against those who fail or refuse to comply.

It was gathered that the BFP personnel who tested positive for Covid-19 took a leave of absence on March and went home to Cebu.

“Naabutan sya doon ng lockdown sa Cebu kaya hindi nakabalik,” Gomuwang said.

She returned to Iloilo City on June 5 where she was billeted at Go Hotels Iloilo at corner Ledesma and Mabini Sts., City Proper district, Iloilo City.

The following day, she underwent rapid antibody test and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) test.

She was negative in the rapid test.

The personnel allegedly requested if she could undergo home quarantine to complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine.

Gomuwang said health authorities agreed to it.

By “home quarantine,” the personnel stayed at the BFP barracks located at the third floor of the BFP regional office.

“As far as I know, she did not go around and just stayed at the BFP facility,” Gomuwang said.

Meanwhile, even with the BFP regional office lockdown, Gomuwang assured that their duties won’t be hampered.

“We’re still ready to respond to fire calls and other duty-related assistance,” he said.