ILOILO CITY — A returning Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is the first case of COVID-19’s Omicron variant in Iloilo City.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry announced Wednesday, January 5, that the returning OFW is a 46-year-old seafarer from Sooc village of Arevalo district.
Dr. Marigold Calsas of the Iloilo City Health Office said the Ilonggo seafarer infected with the Omicron variant is unvaccinated.
“But the person is asymptomatic,” Calsas said in a virtual press conference.
The Ilonggo seafarer mostly had travel in the continent of Africa, especially in the countries of Somalia and Kenya.
The Ilonggo seafarer arrived in Iloilo last December 24, 2021, but arrived in the country with Cebu as entry point last December 15.
The returning OFW tested negative for COVID-19 before flying to the country and initially also tested negative while in Cebu.
It was only when the Ilonggo OFW voluntarily underwent COVID-19 testing in Iloilo City last December 27 that a positive result came back.
“Most likely, the Ilonggo seafarer got infected while in Cebu,” Calsas said.
Jeck Conlu, the spokesperson for the Iloilo City government for COVID-19 concerns, urged Ilonggos not to panic with the first confirmed case of the Omicron variant.
“The person’s movement was limited and did not really have close contacts,” Conlu noted.
The Ilonggo seafarer allegedly has been alone at his house since arriving last December 24.
Calsas explained that based on guidelines, a close contact is someone with interaction for 15 minutes or more.
“The person did have interaction with others, but it was less than 10 minutes. So, that’s not a close contact,” Calsas emphasized.