ILOILO – The municipal government of Dumangas has ordered a wider contract tracing.
Vice Mayor Almar Marfito and two Sanggguniang Bayan (SB) members contracted SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-9).
Close contacts of these officials must be tested and must observe quarantine while waiting for the test results, according to Mayor Ronaldo Golez.
Marfito, 46, and the two SB members were among the six new COVID-19 cases Dumangas recorded on Saturday.
The SB members were a 67-year-old female and resident of Aurora Del Pilar Street, Dumangas while the other was a 26-year-old male from Barangay Jardin and the municipal federation president of the Dumangas Sangguniang Kabataan.
Also among the six new COVID-19 cases in Dumangas was the 45-year-old barangay captain of Tamboilan.
Golez said information reached him that the barangay captain was able to roam around prior to the release his test result.
“Right after sang swab dapat tani ma-isolate ka na. Sia ‘ya naglagaw kag naglibot, kon diin nagkadto,” said Golez. “Amo na ang mga tawo didto (Barangay Tamboilan) ginakulbaan.”
Golez urged those who have close contact with the barangay captain to proceed to the Municipal Health Office for medical assessment and swabbing.
The other new COVID-19 cases in Dumangas were a 30-year-old male from Barangay Talusan, a local case, and a 46-year-old male from Barangay P.D. Monfort, a locally stranded individual.
Golez said Marfito and the two SB members may have caught the virus from a Dumangas resident who visited the SB session hall on Aug. 19 before he knew he had COVID-19.
“Naglibot-libot pa ‘ni ang nag-positive sa munisipyo,” said Golez of the man.
When the man’s test result finally came out showing him with COVID-19, those who had close contact with him were tested, including Marfito, the two SB members and the barangay captain of Tamboilan who happened to be at the SB session hall when the man visited the SB.
The three town officials were all asymptomatic and being isolated at the Dumangas quarantine facility.
As of Saturday, Aug. 29, Dumangas recorded 38 COVID-19 cases (18 active, 19 recovered and one death).
Golez himself had just completed his voluntary 14-day home quarantine which started on Aug. 11. He was exposed to a family member of a confirmed COVID-19 case (a 35-year-old male call center agent working in Iloilo City).
He fortunately tested negative for the disease.
Six employees of the local government of Dumangas also went on voluntary home quarantine recently, and the municipal building of Dumangas was closed for two days – Aug. 12 and 13 – for disinfection./PN
