2 OFWs, who returned to Negros Occidental, positive for COVID-19

BACOLOD CITY –– Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who were recently repatriated to Negros Occidental from Cebu, tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the number of patients in the province to four.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said both are asymptomatic and under strict isolation.

Case No. 3 is a 38-year-old male OFW from Silay City, who arrived in the Philippines from the Netherlands on March 24, while Case No. 4 is a 50-year-old male from Candoni town, who arrived in the Philippines on March 17 from Finland.

Negros Occidental’s COVID-19 Case No. 1 is a female from EB Magalona, who has since recovered, and Case No. 2 is a La Castellana resident, who is believed to have acquired the virus from his employers in Iloilo. He is also asymptomatic.

Lacson said the repatriation of stranded Negrenses would be allowed only if the provincial government quarantine facilities could absorb them.

A new rule requires that all returning Negrense OFWs must undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) tests for COVID-19 before they are allowed to enter Negros Occidental.

Louie Fernandez, Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit coordinator, reported that the number of persons under monitoring for COVID-19 in the province increased to 730 from 432 on April 18, following the repatriation of Negrenses.

Negros Occidental also had five persons under investigation and 20 suspected COVID-19 cases as of Thursday.

Former Rep. Alfredo Benitez, Negros Occidental provincial government consultant, expressed the hope that the province would have its COVID-19 testing laboratory at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City soon.

A DOH team has inspected the TLJPH laboratory and it’s very promising, Benitez said.

“We have a few requirements to comply with and then I think we are good to go,” he said.

LZB