No labels please, acting mayor pleads in case of Holy Land pilgrims in Catanduanes quarantine

LEGAZPI CITY—Seven pilgrims who returned home on Thursday (March 12) from the Holy Land went on self-quarantine in a hospital in Virac, Catanduanes, according to Vice Mayor Arlynn Arcilla, the town’s acting mayor.

“That’s what we appreciate about the pilgrims,” said Arcilla in a phone interview.

She said officials of the town had been enforcing self-quarantine even on people arriving from Metro Manila “because there were cases of local transmission there.”

The pilgrims who went on self-isolation showed no signs of COVID-19 infection.

Arcilla also asked people arriving in Virac to report immediately to the rural health unit for medical checks.

According to the acting mayor, the pilgrims had hired a van from Manila to Tabaco City in Albay province and arrived in Catanduanes through the San Andres town sea port.

The 14-day quarantine period for the pilgrims falls into the required observation and incubation period when symptoms are supposed to manifest based on the World Health Organization (WHO) website.

Persons who had history of travel to countries with cases of the disease but exhibit no symptoms are to be monitored, according to Department of Health protocol.

“I hope that we do not label these pilgrims (as carriers) because they have not exhibited symptoms. They only have a history of travel abroad,” Arcilla said, pleading to people and media to be responsible in disseminating information about the pilgrims.

Edited by TSB