DOH says 2 of 3 Pinoys who earlier showed COVID-19 symptoms test negative

These three were part of the more than 400 Filipinos who were brought home from the virus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess docked in Japan. (Pixabay file photo)

The test results of two of three repatriated Filipinos from Yokohama, Japan, who earlier showed symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, were negative.

In an interview with various media outlets, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Friday, February 28, that while the two tested negative, they are still waiting for the test result of the third Filipino.

Vergeire told GMA’s Unang Balita that the two Filipinos do not need to take another set of laboratory tests for COVID-19, but they will still be ‘observed’ by Health officials.

“Ang dalawang laboratory test po required po ‘yan kapag kayo ay nagturn-out na positive [sa virus] (Two laboratory tests are only required if the result of your test turned out to be positive [for the virus]),” she said.

It was earlier reported that the three repatriates quarantined at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac were brought to the  Jose B. Lingad Hospital in Pampanga, after two of them experienced a sore throat, while the other one has a non-productive cough, according to Vergerie in separate interviews with Super Radyo dzBB and DZMM.

The DOH official, however, assured that they are now in a “stable condition.

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These three were part of the more than 400 Filipinos who were brought home from virus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess docked in Japan.

Aboard two Philippine Airlines chartered flights, the first batch arrived in the country on Tuesday at 10:10 p.m, while the second batch landed on Wednesday at 12.12 a.m. at the Haribon Hangar in Clark Air Base, Pampanga.

It can be recalled that the ship carried a total of 3,700 passengers, including 531 Filipino crew members and seven Filipino passengers. The ship was quarantined at the Port of Yokohama after it was found out that one of its passengers tested positive for COVID-19.