Quezon City gov’t monitors nearly 350 people after UK virus variant case

MANILA, Philippines — Close to 350 individuals are being monitored in a community in Quezon City following the case of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), who tested positive for the UK variant of the new coronavirus.

Francis Adante, officer-in-charge of Barangay Commonwealth, said 90 families—composed of some 342 individuals—are being monitored in their community where the OFW previously stayed.

Adante said among those being monitored in the community are workers, senior citizens, and pregnant women.

“Actually ‘yung area ay napakahirap talaga, it’s a depressed area. Hindi ganoon kadaling kausapin yung mga tao,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

A total of 105 individuals have also undergone swab testing, according to Adante.

“Nag-conduct na rin kami ng mass swabbing through the effort na rin ng LGU namin tsaka ng QC epidemiology, mayroon na kaming na-swab na 105,” he said.

“Dun sa mga ganung sitwasyon, to ensure na talaga ma-contain namin ang contamination or transmission, nag-request muna kami ng mga police para magbantay doon kasi as per protocol, pag naswab ‘yung mga tao, hindi muna sila lalabas habang hinihintay pa yung mga result,” he added.

The 35-year-old OFW was on quarantine at Riverside, Barangay Commonwealth, after his manning agency transferred him there from a Manila City hotel where he was initially sent to undergo isolation following a swab test result finding him positive for SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.

Specimen from the Cebu man’s January 17 swab test was subsequently sent to the Philippine Genome Center to determine if he contracted the more infectious UK variant or B.1.1.7. This test yielded a positive result.

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KGA