By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the local Inter- Agency Task Force against the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, said that the mass swab test being proposed by the city government will be for all vendors.
Familiaran, who was invited by a group of fish vendors at the Burgos market Monday, issued the clarification after the vendors asked why they will be subjected to swab test.
The vice mayor said the vendors wanted to clarify some issues on the scheduled swab test for market vendors.
He said even those vendors who are selling in barangay markets will also be swabbed.
Familiaran said he explained to the vendors that they are considered as high risk as their work exposes them and their clients to the virus.
Earlier, vendors selling at the Libertad and Burgos markets staged a protest action against the swab tests proposed by the city government for market vendors.
The vendors also staged a separate protest action during the weekend.
The surveillance testing is on October 10.
Arlaine Arante, a fruit vendor, said they do not understand why they are being targeted for the swab test.
Ernie Pineda, Quick Response Team (Extraction Cluster), told reporters they have been informed that there were rallyists who joined the protest Saturday who were not real market vendors.
Pineda said the surveillance testing will be conducted to ensure that the tenants in the three major markets of Bacolod City are COVlD-free.
This will be conducted at no cost to the market vendors.
Those who test negative can continue to sell while those who test positive will be extracted and brought to a quarantine facility, Pineda said.
He further said that those who will submit to swab test will be issued a market pass by the City Legal Office so they have access to the markets.
Pineda also said if many will test negative, the market will be declared COVID-free.
COUNCILOR’S STAFF INFECTED
Meanwhile, a staff of Bacolod Councilor Cindy Rojas was infected with COVID-19.
In a post in her FB page Sunday night, Rojas said “as a public servant, I wish to inform everyone that one of my office staff has tested positive with COVID-19.”
She said that “because of this, and as protocol dictates, an extensive contact tracing will follow.”
Rojas said that all of her staff are automatically considered close contacts and will undergo 14-day quarantine.
She also said that starting Monday her office will be closed until it is deemed safe for everyone to come back to work.
However, Rojas said “this does not mean that our service to our Locally Stranded Individuals will be hampered. Team Rojas will continue to process requests under a work from home set up. Please give us ample time to process your requirements.”
Rojas is the chairman for LSI concerns in the city in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The eight other staff of Rojas underwent swab test Monday.
Rojas had no close contact with the infected staff as she is under home quarantine after being exposed to another COVID positive person.
She underwent swab test and the result was negative.
