ILOILO – To preempt massive transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the village of Imbang Pequeño in the municipality of San Enrique was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
On Tuesday, residents were ordered to stay home while health authorities track down possible close contacts of Imbang Pequeño’s village chief infected with the viral illness.
Mayor Rosario Mediatrix Fernandez disclosed the male COVID-19 patient works at the URC Sugar Central in said the village.
At least 300 of his coworkers had their specimens tested for possible coronavirus infection yesterday. Another 300 people will be swabbed today.
Citing reports from contact tracers, Fernandez said the barangay captain may have contracted the illness from an infected coworker from Passi City.
“Ining si kapitan namon na-expose sa infectedcoworker ya sa production area nga sa Passi nagapauli,” Fernandez said.
She asked the management of the sugar milling company to suspend operation for two days.
“Ang akon suspetsa dira gid naghalin sa central ang virus. More or less 75 percent of the households sa BarangayImbang Pequeño may family members nga naga-obra sa central,” Fenandez said.
She hopes her “reactive move” in imposing an ECQ would contain the spread of the virus in Imbang Pequeño – a densely-populated barangay having least 480 households or more than 500 families.
“For us to get to the root of the problem, ma-test gid kita and take out the positive. If we cannot totally eliminate all kay ti pakadto-pabalik ang mga tawo at least ang viral load sa sulod ma-lessen,” Fernandez explained./PN
