BY JUN AGUIRRE AND BOY RYAN ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan – A 30-year-old woman from Barangay Mambog, Banga town is the province’s seventh coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
PHO-Aklan head Dr. Cornelio Cuachon Jr. said the latest virus patient (Western Visayas Patient No. 74) was among the 37 repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who returned in this province last week.
“The Department of Health Region 6 informed us that they found one positive for COVID-19 out of 37 specimens we submitted last week,” said Cuachon on Tuesday, adding that results of the 37 seafarers are not yet completed.
The Aklanon repatriates arrived in Iloilo City from Manila via a 2GO ship on April 28.
They were part of the 237 OFWs in Western Visayas stranded in Manila due to the enhanced community quarantine.
Swab samples were immediately taken from them after they arrived at a hotel in this capital town where they will observe quarantine for 14 days.
The samples were then sent to the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
As of this writing, this province has four full recoveries from COVID-19. They are the following:
* A 37-year-old doctor from Malay town
* A 40-year-old seaman from this capital town
* A 66-year-old retired government employee from this capital town
* An 86-year-old man from Libacao town
Four of them yielded negative results twice in the repeat test for the virus through a real-time polymerase chain reaction machine. Cuachon also said that a 68-year-old man (WV Patient No. 8) from this capital town recovered from COVID-19. The patient will undergo repeat test next week.
“We expect that the 68 year-old-patient will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow,” he added.
This province shifted from an enhanced community quarantine to general community quarantine on May 1./PN
