ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 12 March) – A returning overseas Filipino worker (ROFW) was placed on isolation at the provincial hospital in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte starting last weekend after he tested positive of the UK variant of COVID-19, a health official said.
Dr. David Mendoza, Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Disaster Response Unit chief of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 10 said the 26-year old ROFW arrived in Cebu City from Dubai on February 9.
He was then swabbed and isolated on February 14 after testing positive of the virus and deemed to have recovered 10 days after, he said.
He explained that a patient who shows no symptoms after 10 days of quarantine is considered to have recovered.
On March 2, the patient went home by boat from Cebu to Lala town, Lanao del Norte, he added.
Mendoza said they received on March 6 a report from DOH Central Office that the said ROFW was found positive of the UK variant thorough a genome examination.
He said all ROFWs who would show a positive swab test result will undergo a genome examination.
He said DOH Region 10 informed the Provincial Health Office to isolate the patient and discharge him once he has fully recovered.
As of March 9, the PHO report signed by Dr. Marujita Isabel Lao-Opamen, Acting Provincial Health Officer said Lanao del Norte had 858 total COVID-19 cases with 827 recoveries, 10 active ones, and 21 deaths.
A total of 2,200 vials of vaccines from AstraZeneca containing 22,000 doses for 11,000 health workers arrived Wednesday and were sent Friday to various hospitals in the entire Region 10, Mendoza, meanwhile, said. (Richel V. Umel/MindaNews)
