ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered random testing on some 200 employees of call centers on Monday, March 22.
As this was being written, at least 105 employees of business process outsourcing (BPO) company Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) in Mandurriao district tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
For March 18 alone, the firm logged 62 coronavirus cases.
“We need to be proactive and require random testing. We need to do it right away to ensure the safety of everyone,” said Treñas.
The mayor instructed Dr. Roland Fortuna, the city government’s COVID-19 focal person, and Francis Cruz, chief of the Information Technology Services Division, to coordinate with other BPO companies here.
Data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the City Health Office revealed that 70 of the 105 positive cases were from Iloilo City while 35 were from Iloilo province.
According to Jeck Conlu, spokesperson of the Iloilo City COVID Team, the HGS’ index case was a resident of Iloilo province. Upon contact tracing, two of his close contacts were also found positive for COVID-19.
Aggressive contact tracing and swab testing were done which resulted to more positive cases.
The HGS has since been placed on lockdown. Contact tracing was ongoing.
Conlu said they were also investigating a report that the company had a team building activity in Guimaras on March 16 to 17.
ILOILO AGENTS ON LGUS’ WATCH
The 35 call center agents from Iloilo province were pulled out and placed under home or facility quarantine in their respective local government units (LGUs).
“Upon knowing immediately (results), gin-pull out na sila,” said Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, acting chief of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
These employees were all asymptomatic, she added.
If an infected employee can be properly isolated at home, the LGU won’t transfer him/her to the town’s quarantine facility or barangay-based facility.
Quiñon also ordered all municipal health officers of concerned LGUs to conduct contact tracing, especially to the family members of the infected employees.
Should a close contact exhibit symptoms, he/she must undergo swabbing.
“I-test na sila depende sa LGU pero ang Department of Health guidelines says kon kamo close contact sang nag-positive, i-observe kamo for signs and symptoms for 14 days. If you manifest, that’s the time you will be tested,” Quiñon explained./PN
