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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 May) – The seven residents of Digos City who were among 270 passengers on board the Cebu Pacific sweeper flight from Manila on May 6 were immediately held in isolation upon arrival in Digos City, Mayor Josef Cagas said as he denied reports all seven had tested positive for COVID-19.
“It is not true that the seven passengers are positive for COVID-19. Please do not spread fake news,” Cagas said in a statement posted on the city government’s website.
In a statement on May 9, the city government of Davao announced that one of 270 passengers of the sweeper flight from Manila tested positive during the rapid diagnostic test and has been subjected to a swab test for confirmation using the RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) machine, the gold standard for COVID-19 testing.
Cagas said the seven Digos-bound passengers were “immediately isolated form the time they arrived in Digos.”
“At no instance were these passengers given the opportunity to expose themselves in public especially in Digos City,” he said, adding that “from the airport to isolation, the seven were closely guarded and monitored.”
The seven have not manifested any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, he said.
Digos City had only one COVID-19 case, DR031 or PH1507, a 37-year old male who went to the New Davao Matina Gallera derby in March. He manifested symptoms on March 13, was admitted in the hospital on March 23 and discharged on April 1.. (MindaNews)