BACOLOD CITY –– A 26-year-old male responder of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) in Pontevedra town, Negros Occidental tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
He was part of the crew that brought a locally stranded individual of the town to the EB Magalona healing center to undergo re-swabbing for a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test, said Pontevedra DRRMO head Fairy Grace Andrico.
At least 20 PDRRMO members and two nurses, who were exposed to the male responder, were isolated while waiting for their test results.
Nine family members of the responder were also tested for COVID-19 and are now on quarantine.
The male responder is the second Negrense hit by COVID-19 through local transmission. The first case is a Negros Occidental PDRRMO ambulance driver. Both are quarantined at the EB Magalona healing center.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is set to hold an online meeting with the mayors to discuss COVID-19 concerns today.