OFW brought to QC by agency tests negative for Covid-19

MANILA – The overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who earlier contracted the coronavirus UK variant has already yielded negative results for Covid-19.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that she was informed by the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) on Friday after they received the latest Covid-19 swab test on the 35-year old-man.

“Ok na siya, he’s negative, he tested negative already pero nandyan pa rin siya sa quarantine facility (He is ok, he tested negative already but he needs to stay in the quarantine facility). He developed some mild symptoms a few days ago so we just want to make sure before he is given a certification to leave the facility,” Belmonte told reporters.

In the meantime, the QC government has already contact traced about 350 individuals from the community within the 50-meter radius where the man stayed.

Belmonte said that eight of these individuals have manifested some symptoms and that they are now under home quarantine pending their swab test results.

Moreover, out of the 350 people, 106 have already undergone the Covid-19 swab test.

Belmonte said their results are expected to be out within the day while the CESU is targeting to finish the swab test of all the remaining individuals that have been contact-traced.

Meanwhile, CESU has already identified the Grab driver and contact tracing will also be done on all the persons with which he had encountered.

As of this writing, Belmonte said they have not recommended placing the community where the man stayed under a special concern lockdown but that members of the community are advised to stay home.

“Yung results ng 106 persons na yan yung magiging batayan kung tayo ay magla-lockdown or hindi (The results of the 106 individuals will be our basis if we will impose a lockdown or not). We need to have evidence for community transmission before we can lockdown,” Belmonte said.

Belmonte reiterated that the city government will file a case against the Baltic Asia Crewing Incorporated that brought the man positive with the Covid-19 UK variant to QC instead of a quarantine facility.

“Paano kung superspreader pala ang lalaki? Inilagay ng agency sa panganib ang buhay ng buong komunidad sa Riverside dahil hindi nila sinunod ang protocol at dinala pa sa ating lungsod ang lalaki. Hindi nila ipinagbigay-alam sa mga otoridad sa Maynila man o sa QC ang kalagayan ng lalaki, kaya wala tayong kaalam-alam. Kailangan nating panagutin ang agency at sampolan (What if he was a superspreader? They put the lives of the people in the whole community in Riverside at risk because they neglected the protocol and brought him here. They did not notify the authorities in Manila or Quezon City. The agency should be liable and this case should serve as an example),” said Belmonte.