BACOLOD CITY — One of the three South African nationals who arrived in Negros Occidental last week, tested negative for COVID-19 in his second RT-PCR test.
This was based on the information released by Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) head Dr. Zeaphard Caelian on Thursday, December 2.
Caelian said the South African who tested negative was in a quarantine facility in La Carlota City.
As to the two other foreigners, the provincial government is still waiting for their re-swab results.
The foreigners arrived in the country on Nov. 25 and entered the province the following day, with negative swab test results.
However, the province decided to subject them to reswab on Dec. 1, while being isolated in their respective quarantine facilities, following reports on the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant called Omicron which originated in South Africa on Nov. 24.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II, said the two other foreigners are currently quarantined in Calatrava town, adding that both did not exhibit any symptom and are feeling well.
These three are visiting consultants of a biopower firm located in northern part of the province.
Also, Diaz said they have yet to receive an update on the returning overseas Filipino (ROF), who also came from South Africa, and is currently confined at a quarantine facility in Pontevedra town.
Meanwhile, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson denied the claims of other people that these travelers slipped through and did not pass through the province's health protocols.
"It is wrong to say that they slipped through our protocol," Lacson said.
Lacson stressed that they arrived in the province before their country was even classified as a "Red List" country.
The province is intensifying its measures against the new COVID-19 variant.