ILOILO City – At least 197 personnel from the regional and city offices of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), who have close contact with an infected BFP employee, were found out to be negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in rapid testing done by the City Health Office.
These personnel submitted themselves Tuesday to rapid antibody tests to determine if they contracted COVID-19, according to Fire Senior Inspector Stephen Jardeleza, newly-designated Public Information Officer (PIO) of the BFP Region 6.
On Wednesday, the 197 personnel also underwent confirmatory testing under real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the Freedom Grandstand, said Jardeleza.
The result of their RT-PCR tests were expected to be released within two to three days, he added.
The Iloilo city government, through Executive Order 91, locked down the regional and city offices of the BFP on Monday after a personnel of the BFP regional office tested positive for COVID-19.
This 26-year-old female personnel, who had a history of travel to Cebu City, was immediately placed on quarantine.
On the same date that the swab was taken, she was transferred to the BFP barracks along Macario Peralta Street from the Go Hotel, where she stayed upon her arrival.
The now Patient 144 was at St. Therese-MTCC Hospital, one of the city government’s identified quarantine facilities.
Upon receiving the news, Jardeleza said they immediately conducted decontamination and sanitation procedures.
“Nakapatigayon naman sang decontamination ang mga katapo sang Iloilo City Fire Station COVID team sa bug-os nga building sang tatlo na ka beses humalin sang nagwa ang resulta sang Domingo sang hapon,” Jardeleza added.
When asked about the infected personnel’s travel history to Boracay, Jardeleza refused to comment.
“For now, sa akon position as newly designated PIO, I am not privy to any information with regard sa any trip sa Boracay. I have no information nga ginsugid sa akon,” Jardeleza told Panay News Wednesday morning.
He appealed to his fellow BFP employees to continue their service amid the controversy.
“Continue gid ang aton nga trabaho, ang nagakatabo nga ini doesn’t represent man sa pangkabilogan nga imahen sang association kay bal-an naton nga mas madamo man sang dedikado naton diri nga bombero kag padayun gid sa pagtrabaho para sa constituents,” said Jardeleza.
Meanwhile, the statement released by the Malay LGU said the person claimed to have originated from Kalibo, Aklan and would be in Boracay “for a conference.”
“However, the BFP personnel allegedly went on unofficial business and violated quarantine protocols of both the municipality of Malay and municipality of Kalibo,” the statement said.
“The local government unit of Malay strongly condemns this irresponsible and blatant disregard of quarantine protocols.”
Malay acting Mayor Frolibar Bautista has already consulted the town’s legal office for the filing of appropriate cases as contact tracing and investigation of the series of events are being conducted, including establishments that “accepted the unofficial business of BFP personnel.”
Bautista also ordered contact tracing in the hope of stopping COVID-19 from spreading in Boracay Island which is poised to initially welcome back domestic tourists from across the region.
The Municipal Health Office, Municipal Tourism Office and Malay police station are spearheading the contact tracing.
The acting mayor also tasked the Municipal Health Office, Municipal Tourism Office and Malay police station to investigate “establishments that accepted the unofficial business of the BFP personnel.”
Bautista lamented that the controversial visit was done at a time when Boracay stakeholders were girding for a “soft opening” after three months of quarantine. Now, he said, visitors may once again feel anxious about their health.
This, however, won’t stop Boracay from reopening, he stressed./PN
