By Marie Tonette Marticio
TACLOBAN City – The Department of Health in Region 8 (DOH-8) announced that 22 swab samples taken from 90 recipients of the Balik Probinsiya Program (BP2) yielded negatives results for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The samples were sent to the TB Reference Laboratory Molecular Facility in Cebu City on May 23, and the results for the 22 samples returned on May 31.
DOH-8 informed that the negative samples were from the municipalities of Matag-ob, Bato, Albuera, Tabango, Babatngon, Javier, Barugo, Palo, Dulag, and Tunga.
Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 regional director, appealed to the locally stranded individuals, returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and beneficiaries of the BPP for cooperation and honesty, as well as the public. to avoid discriminating against COVID-19 patients.
"These past few days caused so much fear, confusion, and finger-pointing. Now is the time for a better understanding of this health situation... Please do not waste the efforts of our local government and frontliners," she urged.
Meanwhile, a sitio in San Miguel, Leyte has been placed on lockdown as seven locally stranded individuals bypassed the protocols for returning residents.
The 7 LSIs went to the wake of a relative instead of going directly to the local isolation facility. Swab samples were taken from them and the sitio will remain under lockdown pending the results of their swab tests.
Work in the municipal town hall has also been suspended after an employee who had a direct contact with an OFW reported for work. Said OFW was on the same flight as the COVID patient from Tolosa, Leyte. The LGU employees have been placed under a 14-day quarantine.