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MANILA, Philippines — Before 2021 ended, a Filipina who skipped quarantine protocols, partied in Makati City, and later tested positive for the coronavirus, hogged headlines, and earned the ire of Filipinos online.
Below is a timeline of how the incident unfolded based on various interviews of several government officials:
Dec. 22
The Filipina in question returns to the Philippines from Los Angeles, California.
Dec. 23
She attends a party in Barangay (village) Poblacion in Makati City
Dec. 27
She tests positive for the coronavirus
Dec. 29
The woman is taken to a Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) facility and undergoes swab testing. Her swab specimen is sent to the Philippine Genome Center to determine which coronavirus variant she was infected with.
Dec. 30
Social media is abuzz with criticism against the Filipina, whom netizens tagged as the “Poblacion girl.”
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat confirms that a returning Filipina from the United States skipped quarantine and even “boasted of having connections.”
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año says the woman may have infected around 15 people.
Dec. 31
BOQ Director Roberto Salvador Jr. says the government has already prepared a complaint against the quarantine skipper.
Kampai, a bar in Barangay Poblacion that was visited by the Filipina, issues a statement. The bar’s management said some of its customers and employees tested positive for the coronavirus. According to Kampai, the woman arrived at the bar at around 10 p.m. on Dec. 23 and stayed until around 1 a.m.
Mijo, a restaurant visited by the Filipina, also issues a statement, saying all of its staff already tested negative for the virus.
Jan. 1
The management of Berjaya Makati Hotel apologizes for “failing to stop” the Filipina from leaving before the end of her required quarantine period.
The hotel assures it is cooperating with government agencies that are now investigating the incident.