9 STL workers in Cebu who returned to Digos City test positive for COVID-19

DIGOS CITY——Nine workers for a small town lottery operation in Cebu City who returned home on Wednesday have tested positive for SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

In a bulletin on COVID-19 updates, the local government said the nine workers were stranded in Cebu for five months when gaming was suspended. They all stayed in an apartment in Barangay Ponce.

They took a boat to Cagayan de Oro on Monday and were fetched there by local authorities.

The patients have not exhibited any symptoms of the disease, and are currently isolated in a local government-run facility.

The new cases kicked up the total COVID-19 tally in the city to 35 as of Saturday.

Among the new cases is a 41-year-old woman who returned home from a work contract in Dubai.

She arrived in Manila last July 20 and was immediately swabbed for testing using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) process. Her test returned negative for SARS-CoV2 on July 28 hence was allowed to board a flight to Davao City.

When she arrived in the city, she was still told to undergo a 14-day quarantine and subjected to a rapid test. Because her rapid test showed antibodies, she was swabbed again for RT-PCR testing which showed a positive result this time.

CFC