19 OFWs, 9 LSIs arrive

amidst COVID cases 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, May 23, (PIA)—Amidst Coronavirus disease positive cases, 19 of the 21 Boholano Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sailed with 9 locally stranded individuals (LSI) from Cebu to Bohol Friday and arrived May 22, as 1Bohol COVID19 Technical Working Group spokesperson assured, this time, everything is ready. 

While Governor Arthur Yap informed Boholanos of the 21 supposedly OFWs enroute, information about the returning LSIs was not included in the Capitol daily Presser, generating criticisms anew from Boholanos who have become overly protective about the COVID positive cases starting after Bohol accepted homecoming OFWs. 

The 19 returning OFWs arriving in Bohol by ferry in the early morning of May 22, form the fourth batch of OFWs returning to Bohol after completing mandatory quarantine and passing COVID tests with negative results in their areas of origin. 

According to Capitol sources, of the 21 cleared to sail, two OFWs declined to join the homecoming batch and remained in Cebu, for personal reasons. 

Of the 19 OFWs, spokesperson Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez assured Boholanos there is nothing to fear as he personally reviewed the documents proving that these repatriates have all passed the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test with negative results. 

RT-PCR test is the gold standard in the diagnosis of COVID-19, he stressed even as Bohol has seen at least two OFWs who tested positive in swab tests for RT PCR a few days after they arrived here. 

In fact, in the executive order detailing requirements for OFWs to be allowed to enter Bohol, an RT PCR is to be used as standard. 

Earlier, Bohol 'was forced to aceept home coming OFWs' even without an assurance that they have been cleared of the disease, as test results of the OFWs came much later. 

REDUNDANT DISINFECTION. Arriving OFWs and LSIs undergo multi levels of disinfection including hand spraying, foot baths and misting chambers to assure locals that these returniong individuals are no vectors of the dreaded viral disease. (PIA-Bohol/PDRRMO)

Of the returning 51 OFWs who have returned to Bohol in three batches, at least two tested positive after mandatory RT PCR tests here. 

Of the two who tested positive, one immediately tested negative after confirmatory tests, while the other has to extend his quarantine until he can present a two negative RT-PRC tests, which he did recently. 

LGUs fetched the other OFWs who tested negative of the COVID-19 after they completed the quarantine, while a family member fetched the other recovered patient March 21. 

Last May 21, in his presser, Governor Arthur Yap gladly announced that the OFW who remained positive of COVID has just tested negative and was released to his hometown Thursday night. 

All in all, the 19 who came adds up to the 51 OFWs in the first, second and third batches of returning OFWs, now in hotels converted into controlled and supervised facility quarantines in Panglao. 

The 19 are accordingly headed to a quarantine facility in Panglao while the 9 locally stranded individuals would be brought to their town’s respective quarantine facilities, according to Capitol sources. 

Later reports also bared that there were 12 LSIs in the vessel, the remaining three were on another transport, to an undisclosed facil;ity location. 

According to Dr. Lopez, of the 51 OFWs presently in quarantine, all of them are exhibiting no symptoms, their body temperatures all ranged from 36.2 to 37.2 degrees centigrade. 

"There are no symptoms, no complaints and all are awaiting for the [end of the] 14 day quarantine and the second PCR test results, before they can be finally sent home'" he said. 

On the locals fear of the returning Boholanos acting as vectors of the disease, Dr. Lopez assures the public that the new system [in place] will not allow [their return] until we see the negative PCR tests. 

This is even when the Province of Bohol, through an Executive Order that said Bohol would suspend receiving of all incoming Boholanos should a positive case be noted here. 

Meanwhile, last week, a team of a doctor and two medical technologists sent to train in Cebu tested positive for COVID-19, reported Department of Health regional Director Jaime Bernadas. 

DOH-7 said the team members who arrived on Monday in Cebu were to train for Gallares Hospital and were tested for COVID by Wednesday. 

Over this, Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital Director Dr Mutya Kismet Macuno believes the team contracted the disease when they arrived in Cebu. 

While authorities have been trying to assign where the team could have contracted the viral disease, pinpointing Bohol as source of transmission could be historic: a local transmission which could erase all the two-months long of Boholanos sacrificing during community quarantines. 

Before authorities could ascribe the source of the contamination, another batch of OFWs is en-route to Bohol onboard 2Go vessel from Manila to Cebu and then to Bohol, according to reports. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

REDUNDANT DISINFECTION. Arriving OFWs and LSIs undergo multi levels of disinfection including hand spraying, foot baths and misting chambers to assure locals that these returniong individuals are no vectors of the dreaded viral disease. (PIA-Bohol/PDRRMO) 

WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN. Boholano OFWs started to trickle back to Bohol as local government officials process their arrivals to make sure they are not vectors of the virus that has knocked down giant economies. (PIABohol/PDRRMO)