By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS CITY, Capiz– The wife of a seafarer denied that her husband went home before the results of his real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19 was released.
According to Inday Rose, her husband was not able to go home even for a short moment because he was fetched by the ambulance of Tapaz from Iloilo City and proceeded directly to the quarantine facility at Tapaz National High School.
She did bring him food at the quarantine facility, but she did not approach him in keeping with health protocols.
She added that she would not allow him to go home because they have children and senior citizens at home who are vulnerable to the coronavirus disease.
Meanwhile, Punong Barangay Jorly Jimenez of Barangay Switch, Tapaz said they guarded the house of the seafarer so that no members of the family will be allowed to go out.
The 48-year-old Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is part of the repatriates who had a travel history to Osaka, Japan and arrived at Mactan-Cebu International Airport on March 18, 2020.
On June 4, 2020, the OFW availed of the local repatriation program of the provincial government of Capiz. He boarded MV Filipinas Ozamis of Cokaliong Shipping Lines Inc. from Cebu and arrived in Iloilo City on June 5.
On the same day, he was received in the municipality of Tapaz and was referred to the local Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF).
On June 8, his specimen was collected and sent to Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Iloilo City for RT-PCR testing.
On June 14, 2020, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) received the official laboratory test results from the WVMC Department of Pathology Sub National Laboratory which turned out positive for SARS-COV-2, which causes COVID-19.
Since his arrival, he remains asymptomatic, however, as part of the comprehensive guidelines, he was admitted to Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH).
“We have already informed and coordinated with our key partners and stakeholders from Tapaz, Capiz, amongst others, for strategic and specific intervention. Continuous and active contact tracing and necessary findings and activities are ongoing,” PHO information officer Ayr Altavas said.
