By Emme Rose Santiagudo
Four more repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Western Visayas were infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the regional total to 97 cases, based on a bulletin issued by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6) on Monday.
According to Dr. Sophia Pulmones, spokesperson of DOH-CHD 6, three of the COVID-19-positive repatriates are from Iloilo City while one is from Negros Occidental.
“The four new confirmed cases in the region include a 50-year-old male from Molo, Iloilo City (WV Patient No. 94); 30-year-old male from La Paz, Iloilo City (WV Patient No. 95); 23-year-old male from City Proper, Iloilo City (WV Patient No. 96); and 45-year-old male from Talisay City, Negros Occidental (WV Patient No. 97),” Pulmones said in a virtual press briefing on Monday.
Pulmones said the three repatriates in Iloilo City are currently under quarantine in a hotel in the city.
“Ari pa di sila sa isa pa ka hotel. Isaylo ini sila sa separate facility quarantine nga na-identify sang siyudad,” she said.
The four new COVID-19 cases are among the repatriates who arrived in Iloilo City and Bacolod City on April 28-29, 2020, Pulmones added.
She said the three patients have already been tested last April 29 but were subjected to repeat-testing after they had exposure to a previous COVID-19-positive repatriate.
“Gin-retest sila because nakita nga may exposure sila sa upod nila nga repatriates nga positive cases. Gin-retest sila sang City Health Office (CHO) and nagwa ila result nag-positive,” she said.
STREAM OF OFWS
A total of 238 repatriated OFWs in Western Visayas arrived in the region last April 28-29 after being stranded in Metro Manila for almost a month.
On April 28, a total of 56 OFWs from Negros Occidental and Bacolod City arrived in the port of Bacolod. The following day, another 182 OFWs from Panay Island and Guimaras also reached Iloilo City.
According to Pulmones, all 182 repatriates from Panay Island and Guimaras have been tested where 166, or 91 percent, were negative while the results of two others are pending.
Meanwhile, the 56 repatriates from Negros Occidental and Bacolod City were also tested, where 42 yielded negative results while 10 remain pending.
On Saturday (May 9), 40 more OFW repatriates arrived in Iloilo City composed of five repatriates from Guimaras, 23 from Iloilo Province, 11 from Iloilo City and one from Negros Occidental.
Pulmones said all repatriates in the May 9 batch have been tested except for Negros Occidental whose results are also pending.
As of Monday, total COVID-19 cases in the region totaled to 97 with 38 recoveries and 10 deaths.
Infected repatriates in the region totaled to 27 composed of residents of Iloilo City (10), Iloilo province (4), Antique (3) Negros Occidental (5), Bacolod City (2), Guimaras (2), and Aklan (1).
Pulmones reminded the OFW repatriates who are staying in quarantine facilities to observe quarantine measures.
“They should remain in quarantine and room isolation Dapat may mga food handlers per room and food trays will remain outside,” she said.
While under facility quarantine, Pulmones said the repatriates should observe hand and respiratory hygiene and regular disinfection on frequently touched areas such as rails, remote controls, door knobs, and cellphones.
Those experiencing signs of respiratory infection should immediately report to health care workers.
