The provincial government of Negros Oriental has reported its ninth Person under Investigation for the 2019 novel coronavirus (CoViD-19) just a day after the first eight PUIs tested negative of the virus and were released from quarantine and isolation.
Gov. Roel Degamo, at a press conference at the old session hall of the Capitol on Wednesday morning, said that while the eight PUIs were already released this past weekend, “we will still await the second confirmatory tests from the RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine)”.
The ninth PUI, meanwhile, is a Filipino woman from Bayawan City, who has a history of travel to Hong Kong, and had exhibited respiratory symptoms such as cough.
She is now in isolation at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital here awaiting results of throat swab tests from the RITM.
She volunteered for quarantine, and was picked up and brought to the NOPH over the weekend by a provincial government vehicle and a medical team specifically assigned to cater to suspect CoViD-19 cases, Degamo said.
Meanwhile, four other Filipinos in Bayawan are categorized as Persons under Monitoring after their recent return from a trip to Taiwan, Degamo said. Their quarantine period of 14 days ends on Feb. 18.
The three foreigners, one Polish and two Chinese nationals, who were last week categorized as PUMs for having a history of travel from Hong Kong and China, respectively, had completed their quarantine period here, and were cleared for departure either via Cebu or Manila to return to their respective destinations.
Meanwhile, 10 PUMs/PUIs have each received P5,000 assistance from the provincial government to cover for their absence while under quarantine, while others still have to complete the requirements at the Provincial Social Welfare Office.
Degamo has reiterated that while there is no travel ban against foreigners or even Filipinos who have come from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, his executive order still stands to have them undergo quarantine, whether self-imposed or seek medical attention at the NOPH if symptoms occur.
Dr. Liland Estacion, assistant provincial health officer, in the same press briefing reassured that there is a team composed of health officials, the police, and emergency services crew to monitor hotels, resorts, and Airbnb facilities to ensure that these travelers are, indeed, under quarantine.
She said that so far, they have not received reports of tourists violating the Governor’s directive.
The eight PUIs in Negros Oriental for CoViD-19 were released on Tuesday from NOPH despite the absence of confirmatory test results from the RITM.
This, after a new directive from the RITM said that they can be released provided they will undergo an assessment test at the Provincial Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit here to make sure they no longer have flu-like symptoms such as cough, cold, and fever, Capitol spokesperson Bimbo Miraflor said.
The PUIs, who were identified through contact tracing by the Department of Health and local health authorities, had come in close contact with the country’s first two CoViD-19 cases — a Chinese male and a Chinese female who visited Negros Oriental from Jan. 22 to 25. They had all tested negative of the deadly virus during the initial round of separate swab tests conducted by the RITM in Manila.
The PUIs included employees of a hotel and resort where the Chinese couple had stayed, as well as other close contact persons such as a pedicab driver, among others.
Meanwhile, Miraflor said that PUIs and PUMs are urged to comply with the requirements to be presented to the Provincial Social Welfare Office so they can avail of the P5,000 assistance that the provincial government had promised them while they were under quarantine.
These include a barangay certification of residency or certification from workplace; a government-issued identification card (UMID, PhilPost, Voter’s ID, driver’s license, etc.); and for minors/students, a Philippine Statistics Authority-authenticated Certificate of Birth and/or validated school ID; and certification from the PESU that they are included in the official list of PUMs and PUIs.
Miraflor said claims should be made personally, and if not possible, an authorization letter is required, duly signed by the PUM/PUI together with the beneficiary’s ID and that of the attorney-in-fact.
Those who have received the P5,000 assistance from their respective local government units are no longer eligible to claim the same from the provincial government, he added. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
