ILOILO City – Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo of the Archdiocese of Jaro tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Father Angelo Colada, director of social communications of the Archdiocese of Jaro, the 72-year-old archbishop exhibited mild symptoms and underwent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on Aug. 5.
Lazo was recuperating at a private hospital in the city, Colada told Panay News.
The archdiocese subsequently conducted contact tracing. All identified close contacts were swabbed and Lazo’s driver was also found with the coronavirus.
“Tanan sila (close contacts) negative (for COVID) except sa iya driver,” Colada said.
The Catholic faithful also need not worry as the archbishop was in stable condition, he added.
They also have yet to determine how the archbishop contracted COVID-19.
The archbishop’s residence has been closed for disinfection.
Lazo was fully vaccinated against COVID-19. He was inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in March.
The Archdiocese of Jaro is thankful for the prayers for the archbishop.
On the other hand, Mayor Bienvenido Margarico of Janiuay, Iloilo also announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
“Sa mga pinalangga ko nga mga kasimanwa, ginakasubo ko nga ipahibalo sa inyo nga subong nga adlaw, petsa Aug. 9, 2021, nag-positive ako sa RT-PCR test sa COVID-19,” part of Margarico’s official statement read.
Contact tracing was launched right away.
The Office of the Mayor will indefinitely close beginning today.
“Akon gid ginapangabay sa tanan nga indi magkabalaka ukon magpakulba kag sa baylo magpangamuyo kag padayon nga sundon ang tanan nga health protocols,” added Margarico./PN
