197 BFP-Region 6 staff under quarantine after official tested positive for virus

MANILA, Philippines — Some 197 colleagues of the female official of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Region 6 (BFP-Region 6) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are now under quarantine.

This was revealed Saturday by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, who also explained that 28 of the 197 underwent PCR testing since they were the ones exposed to the infected fire bureau official.

“Undergoing investigation na sila at sila ay nandito sa [BFP] headquarters nila sa Iloilo City. Twenty-eight (28) ‘yan na iniimbestigahan natin pero dahil nga sa nangyari ay naka-quarantine na halos lahat ng bumbero natin sa headquarters ng Iloilo City – 197 ‘yung naka quarantine dito,” he said in an interview over Teleradyo.

(They are undergoing investigation and they are at their BFP headquarters in IloIlo City. Twenty-eight of them are being investigated but because of what happened, almost all of our firefighters in Iloilo City, 197 of them, are under quarantine.)

“Pero 28 lang naman ang conduct natin ng PCR testing sapagkat ito ‘yung mga na-expose dito sa isang opisyal ng BFP na positive,” he added.

(But only 28 of them had PCR testing as they were exposed to the BFP official who tested positive.)

The BFP official, who arrived with 27 of her companions in Boracay on June 12, was said to have roamed around and partied on the island while waiting for her test results.

Two days later, the results showed she was positive for the new coronavirus.

Año previously sacked BFP-Region 6 Fire Sr. Supt. Roderick Aguto over command responsibility,

The 28 BFP-Region 6 personnel, including the one who contracted COVID-19, were relieved as well.

Moreover, Año said that 24 employees of the hotel in Boracay where the BFP-Region 6 official stayed, as well as the boatmen who dropped her off the island, have been exposed as well.

“So isipin mo maraming abala, inconvenience at saka paglalagay sa panganib sa buhay ng mga kababayan natin na hindi naman kailangan kung sinunod mo ‘yung rules ng 14 days quarantine,” he said.

(So you see it caused a lot of inconveniences and posed a threat to the lives of our fellowmen, which shouldn’t have happened if you only followed the 14-day quarantine rule.)

KGA