Newest COVID-19 patient is former driver of capitol official

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The latest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient here is a former family driver of a provincial board member of Negros Occidental.

Bacolod Covid Patient No. 18 is a 32-year-old male resident of Barangay Bata.

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer clarified Wednesday that the patient has not set foot in the capitol.

Ferrer issued the statement to assuage capitol employees, particularly those assigned to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan department.

“He has not come here since February when he was fired,” Ferrer told Daily Guardian here.

The patient was reportedly asking his employer to hire him back.

As of press time, SP employees were advised to stay in their respective stations after the board member himself underwent swab testing.

According to Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of the Bacolod interagency task force for COVID-19, the patient was subjected to swab test last June 5 after showing symptoms of the disease.

The patient himself went to the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital for the swab test.

COVID patient No. 18 has no travel history.

Familiaran said the patient resides in a squatters’ area and it us up to the City Health Office if the area will be placed under lockdown.

The patient is reported to be stable and was placed under strict quarantine.