Two more OFWs test positive for coronavirus

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6) reported on Tuesday two additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the region.

In a bulletin issued on Tuesday, Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te, medical coordinator for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases of DOH-CHD 6, said the new cases are repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the provinces of Aklan and Negros Occidental.

According to Te, one of the new patients is a 48-years-old male from Kalibo, Aklan (WV Patient No. 126) who arrived in Manila last March 14 via Qatar Air. He travelled to Africa.

“He is a seafarer who arrived in Manila last March 14. He underwent real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in Manila where he tested negative. He went home to Aklan on May 28 and swabs were taken on June 2 where he came out as positive for COVID-19,” she said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday.

The other case is a 31-year-old male from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental (WV Patient No. 127). The patient arrived in Negros Occidental on June 1 where he was immediately tested for COVID-19.

The two are currently asymptomatic. WV Patient No. 126 is currently under home quarantine while WV Patient No. 127 is under facility quarantine, according to Te.

Adding the two new cases, the region now has 48 OFW repatriates who were infected with COVID-19.

As of Tuesday, the total cases in the region are 127 (28 active cases, 88 recoveries, and 11 deaths).

Based on DOH records, close to 4,000 OFW repatriates arrived in the region in 11 batches as of June 9.

“We have recorded a total of 3,979 OFW repatriates who arrived in the region as of June 9,” Te said.

Iloilo province has 1,366 OFW repatriates; Iloilo City, 512; Negros Occidental, 431; Bacolod City, 314; Capiz, 458; Aklan, 444; Antique, 316; and Guimaras, 118.

Te said that they are still contacting concerned authorities on the data and the current status of the testing and the quarantine of almost 4,000 repatriates.

“We are still waiting for the data on their status and kong sin-o pa ang mga pending nga test results. It will come from our two testing laboratories here in the region particularly West Visayas Medical Center-Sub National Laboratory (WVMC-SNL) in Iloilo City and the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital Molecular Laboratory in Negros Occidental,” she said.