102 health workers from Eastern Visayas have COVID-19 but without symptoms

TACLOBAN CITY –– At least 102 health workers from Eastern Visayas were infected with the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) since last month.

In a virtual presser on Wednesday, Dr. Minerva Molon, director of the Department of Health in the region, said 21 of these health workers have recovered while 81 were still admitted at various quarantine facilities.

All of them were asymptomatic.

Molon, however, did not reveal the specific jobs of the health workers, who were infected with the virus, although earlier reports stated that some of them were doctors and nurses assigned at various public hospitals like the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).

“Yes, it is alarming, but these health workers were assigned in different hospitals and health centers and not just in one area,” she said.

Molon assured the public that the health system delivery in the region would not be affected or paralyzed.

Molon said their assessment showed that the health workers acquired the virus since they did not practice the correct wearing of their protective equipment, sometimes forgot to wear a face mask and observe proper physical distancing.

“These are now being corrected to ensure that no new health worker would be infected,” she said.

On Wednesday, Molon announced five new cases of COVID-19 in the region, where two involved health workers from the towns of Palompon and Alangalang, both in Leyte.

The region now has 532 COVID-19 cases.

LZB