Two more OFW repatriates infected with COVID-19

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

Two more repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6) reported in its bulletin issued on Wednesday.

Dr. Jessie Glenn Alonsabe, DOH-CHD 6 regional epidemiologist, said the two new cases are repatriates from Bacolod City and Januiay, Iloilo.

According to Alonsabe, the new case in Bacolod is a 38-year-old male crew ship nurse who had travel history to United States (WV Patient No. 116).

“He is a crew ship nurse who anchored in Miami in March 15. He disembarked on April 4 and had fever upon disembarkation. His repeat confirmatory test came out as negative on April 20,” he said in an online press briefing on Wednesday.

The patient was repatriated to Manila on May 1. He tested negative for COVID-19 on May 10 and travelled back to Bacolod on May 18.

Alonsabe said swabs were taken from the patient on May 26 which were also positive for COVID-19.

“For discharge na tani siya sa facility quarantine but another [swab] was done on May 26 and he came out as positive,” he said.

The case from Januiay, Iloilo province is a 33-year-old female (WV Patient No. 117) who worked as a factory worker in Taiwan.

She arrived in Manila on May 19 and went home to Iloilo on May 28 together with other repatriates.

Swabs were taken upon her arrival and yielded positive results.

Alonsabe said the two repatriates are currently asymptomatic and under facility quarantine.

As of Wednesday, COVID cases in the region totaled to 117, including 38 OFW repatriates. 84 patients have recovered and 10 expired.