BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia announced on Thursday that there were four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the conduct of rapid tests here.
The three were among the 28 OFWs who were repatriated from Manila after they got stranded there due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantinte (ECQ) in Luzon in the previous weeks.
The repatriates arrived here on April 29 and were immediately brought to Graciano Lopez Jaena Elementary School here, which is one of the city’s quarantine centers, for their 14-day mandatory isolation.
Leonardia said that all the OFWs underwent the rapid test, but four of them were asymptomatic when tested positive for the virus.
He said that the four OFWs will be subjected to real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to confirm their test results.
Also, Leonardia reacted to the sentiments of some OFWs, who compared the city’s accommodation from the other cities and places.
Leonardia clarified that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) did not offer to pay for their accommodation just like in other places because the city has prepared quarantine centers for the repatriates.
“We converted the school into a quarantine center because we believed this is decent, considering that schools are even used during sports events,” the mayor said.
“It is not luxurious but we hope they can appreciate our efforts to provide them a facility for their safety. I believed this should not be ridiculed or belittled,” he added.
Meanwhile, Councilor Israel Salanga, chairman of the action on returning OFWs (ATRO), said that two batches of OFWs are supposed to arrive here this week but their trips were cancelled because of the rapid test results. (Glazyl Masculino)