ILOILO – Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected 84 vendors at the public market of Passi City. The number of infections, however, could further rise, a worried Mayor Stephen Palmares announced yesterday.
“We are waiting for more test results of vendors who were among the 600 individuals swabbed on Wednesday,” Palmares said.
The infected vendors were immediately isolated at the city’s quarantine facility. The disposition of these cases was still unclear as this was being written.
To further stem the virus from spreading, Palmares decreed yesterday a two-week enhanced community quarantine, the government’s most stringent quarantine classification.
Palmares had also since ordered the closure and disinfection of the public market after seven vendors were found to be carriers of the virus SARS-CoV-2.
Vendors without negative RT-PCR test will not be allowed to open their stores/stalls once the disinfection is done.
According to Palmares, the test results of the remaining vendors are expected to come out today.
He instructed those who had their specimens collected for swabbing to observe strict home quarantine. “Palihog deretso na uli sa inyo mga panimalay kag indi na maggwa kag makihalubilo sa iban nga tawo,” the mayor appealed.
Personnel of the City Health Office will be the one to inform vendors of their status via phone call.
Palmares once again urged his constituents to religiously follow public health safety protocols such as wearing of facemask and face shield, social distancing and proper handwashing.
“Indi gid kita magkampante sa aton palibot bangud indi naton makita ang virus nga dara ka COVID-19. Kun wala man lang importante nga adtunan ay indi na kita maghalin sa aton mga panimalay,” Palmares stressed.
As of Tuesday, Passi City had a total of 317 total COVID-19 cases – 86 were active, 228 recovered and three died./PN
