DAVAO CITY — Local health reported at least 15 persons out of the 166 locally stranded individuals (LSIs), who arrived in Davao City last week aboard buses from the national government after being stranded for up to four months in Metro Manila, have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection, Mayor Sara Duterte said.
Duterte said, during her interview aired over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), that the LSIs, most of whom arrived on Tuesday at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT), have been subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.
She said the COVID-19 positive individuals, who stayed for a few days in home quarantine, were immediately transferred by health authorities to COVID-19 isolation facilities after their test results came out.
“They waited for one to two days under home quarantine before the 15 individuals were taken to the facilities,” she added.
“If there is information from the national government that it will be sending LSIs, we are obligated to receive them and then, on our part, we will test all LSIs,” she said.
For returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), Duterte said they must show RT-PCR test results released not more than 48 hours upon arrival in the city.
She said ROFs would be subjected to re-swabbing if test results were more than two days old.
As part of the precautionary measures implemented at the Davao International Airport, Duterte said there would be random testing among passengers of regular commercial flights.
From April 29 to July 12, 2020, she said the city government received a total of 7,949 inbound passengers (4,478 Davao City residents and 3,471 non-residents) and assisted 4,645 outbound passengers from April 29 to July 12, 2020.
Duterte added passengers awaiting RT-PCR results, and those who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 and pass the initial health screening would be placed under home quarantine.
“We never put mild and asymptomatic patients under home quarantine. Those who are confirmed COVID-19 patients would be brought to SPMC (Southern Philippines Medical Center). They are being processed there and then the doctor will assign them to which facility they will be placed,” she said.
As of July 13, Department of Health-Davao recorded 17 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 773 with 35 deaths and 457 recoveries. Of the total cases, 562 are in Davao City, 75 in Davao del Norte, 29 in Davao del Sur, 55 in Davao de Oro, 48 in Davao Oriental, and four in Davao Occidental.