ILOILO CITY — There are now 22 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after coming home in Western Visayas region.
The regional office of the Department of Health (DoH) reported that these 22 OFWs, who arrived in different batches since April 9, are among the region’s 91 positive cases of COVID-19.
Dr. May Ann Soliva-Sta. Lucia, regional head of DoH’s Health Promotion unit, said that nine repatriated OFWs accounted for the 11 new COVID-19 cases recorded Wednesday, May 6.
Iloilo City registered the most number of OFWs with COVID-19 in the region with seven cases. It is followed by Negros Occidental province with four cases.
The provinces of Antique and Iloilo each have three cases of repatriated OFWs with COVID-19.
Guimaras province registered two cases, but DoH clarified that the OFWs are not physically in Guimaras. Both are still in Iloilo.
Bacolod City has two OFWs who tested positive for the virus while Capiz province remains to be the only locality with no recorded COVID-19 case for a repatriated OFW.
So far, only the repatriated OFW from Iloilo province has recovered from COVID-19.
Of the 20 remaining repatriated OFWs with COVID-19 in Western Visayas, 14 are under strict isolation while seven are confined in a hospital.
It is unclear how many more test results of repatriated OFWs are still pending, but their homecoming has divided both local officials and residents out of fear in further spreading the coronavirus.
DoH officials reiterated that repatriated OFWs are under strict isolation and can only be integrated in their local communities once they test negative for COVID-19. (Tara Yap)