Bohol reports 2nd COVID-19 case

TAGBILARAN CITY, May 13 (PIA) -- The province of Bohol reported its second coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case on Wednesday, May 13 after over three months of being deemed COVID-19-free.

The province’s first case was recorded in late January through a 60-year-old Chinese woman who traveled to Bohol.

She was hospitalized and then discharged on Jan. 31, 2020 after recovering from the illness.

Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap made an announcement on Facebook saying that one of the two repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) tested positive for COVID-19 after the confirmatory result was released on May 13 when Department of Health (DOH) 7 Regional Director Jaime Bernadas informed him.

Yap said the other OFW tested negative.

The two OFWs had earlier tested positive in the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests but the results were inconclusive and was thus re-tested.

“Pasado alas 8:50 karong buntag, nakadawat ko ug tawag gikan ni DOH-7 Director Jaime Bernadas. Ingon niya nga naa nay resulta sa confirmatory PCR test gikan sa duha ka OFWs nga gikan sa Manila nga nag false positive sa unang PCR test, usa kanila ang nagpositibo sa COVID-19 ug ang laing usa, nagnegatibo (I received a call from DOH-7 Director Jaime Bernadas past 8:50 a.m today. He said based on the results of the confirmatory PCR test of the two OFWs from Manila who tested false positive in the first PCR test, one of them tested postiive for COVID-19 while the other one was negative), ” Yap said.

Based on the province’s protocol, the patient would remain in a quarantine facility.

Contact tracing is also being done to determine who has interacted with the patient and also to contain the spread of the virus. 

“Sa pagka-karon, base sa atong protocol, tungod kay nagpabilin nga asymptomatic (walay gibati nga simtomas) ang pasyente, ang usa nga nagpositibo sa COVID-19, magpabilin nga i-isolate siya sa iyang kwarto sa atong quarantine facility. Ingon ang DOH, magpahigayon sila ug laing RT-PCR test karong adlawa (For now, based on our protocol, since the patient remains asymptomatic, the one who tested positive will remain isolated in the quarantine facility. DOH said they will administer another RT-PCR test today," the governor said.

Yap said there is no news yet on the RT-PCR results of the tests done on the 63 OFWs quarantined in Bohol.

They would only be allowed to go home once their tests yield negative results.

The 65 OFWs arrived in Bohol on April 28, 2020.

They have already completed their 14-day quarantine on May 12 in three different facilities in the province.

On May 9, another batch of 51 OFWs were ferried to the province, bringing to 116 the total repatriated OFWs now in Bohol.

With the recent development, Yap appealed to Boholanos to observe strict social distancing and wear face masks.

“Sa akong gisulti sa-una, andam kita nga mo-atubang sa hulga sa virus ug kaya nato kining i-manage kung magtinabangay kitang tanan. Sundon nato ang mga mando kabahin sa social distancing, pagsul-ob sa face masks, hygiene and sanitation, curfew hours ug magpabilin sa balay kung walay importante'ng lakwon. Busa, awhagon ko kamo nga maghi-usa kita ug atong i-ampo ang atong pinalangga'ng lalawigan sa Bohol (As I've said before, we are ready to face the threat of the virus and we can manage this if we all help each other. Let's follow the mandates on social distancing, wearing of face masks, hygiene and sanitation, curfew hours, and staying at home," Yap said.  (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)

Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap giving a statement. The province of Bohol reported its COVID-19 case on Wednesday, May 13 after over three months of being deemed COVID-19-free.  (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)

SSS adopts anti-COVID 

precautionary measures 

CORTES, Bohol, May 9, (PIA)—As a measure to protect its transacting public and employees against the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID), Social security System in Bohol is limiting the number of clients to be served daily as a precautionary measure. 

In a notice sent to the media, SSS Bohol through its head Alieta Basubas said with social distancing adopted as a measure to deny the virus the chance to spread, the office in Tagbilaran City will limit the number of customers to be served daily. 

Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, only 200 priority numbers would be handed out to payments clients and thus serves on this much. 

The figure even gets lesser on Thursdays and Fridays as only 100 priority numbers for customers to be served are issued. 

As to transactions other than payment, the SSS would hand out 200 priority numbers daily, Basubas said. 

Moreover, across all SSS offices nationwide, the no mask-no entry policy is strictly imposed, according to SSS Bohol information Officer Hazel Navarro. 

And with the virus potentially passed on from respiratory droplets to the hands, bringing it back closer to the nose and mouth, the SSS discourages clients from sharing writing implements and requires clients to bring their own ballpens. 

In all SSS Offices, a strict one-meter physical distancing would be observed in compliance with social distancing mandates, she said. 

As always, the SSS has followed a number coding arrangement in all its transactions and this this holds true in this time of the COVID pandemic. 

In compliance with the Inter Agency task Force on the Emerging Infectious Disease guidelines, members who are 21 years old and above 59 are allowed to transact at the SSS, she shared. 

The SSS has also requested clients who wish to submit documents to get them through the dropbox provided at the office doors, this minimizes hand contact, while company and employer transactions shall be strictly through authorized representatives who hold blue cards for these kind of transactions. 

As the SSS enjoins all members to use the available SSS electronic channels through the MY.SSS or mobile apps in their transactions, senior citizens, pregnant women and those with co-morbidities are also advised to these channels, she said. 

Finally, upon transacting business at SSS, clients must always bring their SSS IDs or any two valid identifications and authorization letter from the member. 

For further inquiries, clients are urged to call 412-3934, 501-7055 and 411-5477 on the landlines or 09516268219, 09516268220 (Talk and Text) and 09263413401, 09263413403 (TouchMobile). (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)