By Zea Capistrano
DAVAO CITY - Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Laak and Monkayo towns in Davao de Oro province became their town’s first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, the provincial government said Thursday.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the Department of Health Davao Center for Health Development (DOH-DCHD) reported four new cases in the region, including the two OFWs. One was a 40-year old male from Nigeria, and the other was a 34-year-old male from Saudi Arabia. Both were asymptomatic.
In a statement, the provincial government of Davao de Oro said the OFW from Nigeria arrived in Manila on June 6. He underwent swab testing upon arrival, and his test results showed him negative for the virus. He was placed in isolation until June 10.
He was among the air passengers onboard a sweeper flight facilitated by the government’s Balik Probinsya Program on June 11, 11pm. He arrived in Laak town on June 12, and was once again placed under quarantine by the Barangay Isolation Unit (BIU).
The OFW underwent swab testing on June 22 and his results showing he was positive for the virus were received on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the OFW from Saudi Arabia arrived in Manila on May 23. The OFW underwent three swab tests. The first two tests showed that he was positive for COVID-19; while the third showed a negative result.
The OFW arrived in Davao City on June 19, and he was placed under the BIU quarantine. He underwent another swab testing on June 22 at the Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital - Montevista. His results showed he was positive for COVID-19.
The two OFWs were the 16th and 17th cases of COVID-19 in Davao de Oro. The province said it currently has 14 active cases of COVID-19.
The two other cases recorded by the DOH in Davao region on Thursday night were a 63-year-old male and 62-year-old female who were a couple from Apokon, Tagum City. They were the 18th and 19th COVID-19 cases in Tagum City and are both asymptomatic. The city currently has six active cases.
In an earlier statement on Wednesday night, June 24, the city government of Tagum said the couple were both locally-stranded individuals from Bulacan. They arrived in Tagum City on June 10 and were placed in the Tagum City Infectious Diseases Isolation Facility in Barangay Canocotan.
The DOH Davao Region said six more patients successfully recovered and were discharged on Thursday bringing the total number of recoveries to 317. Davao region has recorded a total of 492 cases and 31 deaths due to COVID-19.