Marikina market partially closed over infections

Parts of the Marikina City Public Market have been shuttered to give way to disinfecting procedures after 29 out of 2,000 workers were found positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) this week.

They included stall holders, vendors, porters and helpers at the market in Barangay Sta. Elena. There were 66 who initially tested positive, but rapid tests identify only antibodies, not necessarily COVID-19.

After subjecting them to the more reliable swab test, only 29 of the 66 were confirmed positive for the disease, the local government said.

Mon Viliran, a doctor who was also the public market administrator, said the city was able to detect the infected workers before the situation spiraled out of control.

Many of them were also not from Marikina but neighboring areas like Antipolo City and Pasig.

Even those who were found positive through rapid testing were quarantined and barred from operating their market stalls or visiting the area in the meantime.

Viliran said aggressive contact tracing being done by the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit suggested a resident of Barangay Mayamot, Antipolo, could be to blame for the surge of cases in the market. —Matthew Reysio-Cruz