On Wednesday, the Quezon City LGU said 114 tested positive for COVID-19 at Religious of the Virgin Mary convent in Cubao.
Of those who fell ill, 64 were nuns while the others were lay partners, health aides, caregivers, and drivers.
In an interview with Teleradyo Thursday, Dr. Rolly Cruz, head of the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit, said that one COVID-19 patient had been added to the convent. Two of them are being treated in the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital.
Cruz also said that only convent staff had been vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Karamihan sa kanila (mga madre) ay walang mga bakuna. So ‘yun po inaalam namin bakit na-miss namin ito at bakit hindi namin sila nabakunahan agad. Apparently, nagpa-reschedule sila ng vaccination date,” he said.
(Most of them (nuns) do not have vaccines. So we find out why we missed it and why we didn’t vaccinate them right away. Apparently, they rescheduled a vaccination date)
Re-testing will be conducted at the facility to ensure that those who test negative for COVID-19 are not infected. The Quezon City LGU will also ensure that health protocols are followed in the facility.
“Kasi once mapasukan ng isa, dire-diretso na po ‘yan. Lalo ‘yung behavior ng Delta variant, napakabilis makahawa,” said Cruz.
64 nuns tested positive for COVID-19 in QC convent
(Because if one becomes infected, it will spread already. This is the behavior of the Delta variant. It is highly contagious.)
Meanwhile, another convent in Quezon City was placed under special concern lockdown due to the COVID-19 infection.
According to the Quezon City local government, 22 out of 90 residents of the Convent of the Holy Spirit tested positive for the disease.
“Ongoing po ‘yung investigation dito. Tinitignan namin kung merong epidemiologic link ‘yung 2 kumbento,” Cruz said.
(The investigation is ongoing here. We are looking to see if there is an epidemiologic link between the 2 convents.)
Early this month, 111 children of Gentle Hands orphanage in Quezon City also tested positive for COVID-19. However, it was not clear how the outbreak started.
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