By Emme Rose Santiagudo
Two “indigenous” cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in Western Visayas three days before the region exits from General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to Modified GCQ.
Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of Public Health Program Development of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6), reported two new additional cases on Friday from Iloilo City and Bacolod City.
The two new patients include a 52-year-old male from La Paz, Iloilo City (WV Patient No. 112) and a 36-year-old female from Bacolod City (WV Patient No. 113).
According to Reyes, the Iloilo City case is a Bureau of Jail and Management of Penology (BJMP) personnel. He was first swabbed on May 12 where he initially tested negative.
“On May 20, gin-repeat swab siya because ang issue indi manami ang pag quarantine sang ila cases. But then, the laboratory said that insufficient ang specimen. So gin-repeat collect iya na specimen on May 23 and his results came out as positive for COVID-19,” Reyes said in an online press briefing on Friday.
The BJMP worker is asymptomatic and under facility quarantine.
Meanwhile, the new patient in Bacolod City is a nurse, according to Reyes.
“She was swabbed because their organization required all frontline health workers nga may possible exposure to confirmed cases to undergo testing. She is currently asymptomatic and under facility quarantine,” she said.
Three more recoveries were also recorded in the region on Friday:
-a 65-year-old male from Caluya, Antique (WV Patient No. 45);
-a 43-year-old female from Caluya, Antique (WV Patient No. 64); and
-a 42-year-old repatriated Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) from Tobias Fornier, Antique (WV Patient No 90).
As of Friday, the region has 113 COVID cases with 81 recoveries and 10 deaths.
