ILOILO – Beginning yesterday March 7, there would be no Masses at the renowned Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church in Miag-ao town.
“It is currently on lockdown,” an advisory from the Archdiocese of Jaro read.
All public Masses, including those in some barangays, were suspended until further notice, it added.
The parish’s priest underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test after exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Archdiocese revealed.
He was admitted at a hospital in Iloilo City.
Mayor Macario Napulan confirmed to Panay News that the unnamed priest initially tested positive for the virus via BioFire testing, so “gin-subject sia for confirmation sa RT-PCR test.”
BioFire test, similar to a rapid test, detects the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in approximately 45 minutes from a nasopharyngeal swab.
Fifteen close contacts – mostly church staff – were quarantined at the church convent pending the priest’s swab test results.
Should his RT-PCR test turn out positive, the contacts will undergo swabbing, Napulan said.
Personnel of the Rural Health Unit also conducted a massive decontamination within the church premises.
Miag-ao’s Catholic faithful, however, can still attend Masses in barangays San Jose, Cubay and Igbugo, Napulan said.
As of this writing, Miag-ao had 196 total COVID-19 cases – 11 were active, 183 recovered and two deaths./PN
