CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 15 June) — Five family members of the 34-year-old market vendor who died of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) last June 7 were tested positive of the virus Monday morning.
Dr. Joselito Retuya, Cagayan de Oro City Health Office chief epidemiologist, said they received the Xpert Express PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test results confirming that the father and four siblings of the market vendor were positive of COVID-19.
“The five are all asymptomatic and were already confined at the city’s isolation unit,” Retuya said.
Retuya also reported that a 60-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW), a resident of Barangay Bulua, was found positive of the disease when he was tested in Pasig City in Metro Manila.
He said the worker was about to report back to his work in Indonesia when he took the RT (reverse transcription) -PCR test in Pasig.
Retuya said the worker arrived in Cagayan de Oro from Indonesia on March 12.
He said the worker is now quarantined at the company’s condominium in Pasig.
“He was quarantined here for 14 days after arriving last March 12 and was later released after he showed no symptoms,” Retuya said.
Retuya said the 60-year-old OFW complied with all the necessary travel papers when he reported back for work last June 10.
With the six new cases, the Cagayan de Oro City Health Office said there are now nine active COVID-19 cases in the city, including that of the OFW.
Dr. Lorraine Nery, city health officer, said the three other cases are the 25-year-old student who came from Cebu City, the 49-year-old female resident from Barangay Kauswagan and the 59-year-old female patient from Sitio Macanhan in Barangay Carmen.