99 kids in Gentlehands Orphanage tested positive for COVID – Mayor Belmonte

Mayor Joy Belmonte said 99 children are among the 122 people who acquired COVID-19 in Gentlehands Orphanage on Thursday in Quezon City.

She said the 99 children were staying at the Gentlehands Orphanage in Barangay Bagumbuhay.

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Dr. Rolando Cruz, Quezon City’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) chief, said an asymptomatic adult allegedly visited the orphanage and unknowingly brought the coronavirus, which spread among the children and staff.

“Kailangang mapanatili ng mga ganitong closed long-term care facilities ang mahigpit na protocols dahil kahit isang kaso lang ang makapasok sa kanila ay madaling mahahawa ang lahat,” Cruz said.

(Closed long-term facilities should maintain their strict protocols because one case could easily infect all the others.)

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“Mariin nating ipinapaala na ang hindi pagsunod o hindi pagpapatupad ng minimum public health protocols ay paglabag sa RA 11332. Dapat maging mahigpit ang ating persons in authority sa pagpapatupad nito para maiwasan natin ang pagkalat ng virus.”

(We strongly warn that non-compliance or non-implementation of minimum public health protocols is in violation of RA 11332. Persons in authority should be strict in implementing it to prevent the spread of the virus.)

The mayor said the local government of QC already sent paracetamol, vitamins, hygiene kits, face masks, alcohol, and food packs to Gentlehands Orphanage.

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99 kids in Gentlehands Orphanage tested positive for COVID – Mayor Belmonte

Belmonte added she ordered CESU to closely monitor the patients’ health, especially the children, and conduct swab testing and contact tracing.

Last month, at least 60 youths tested positive for COVID-19 at 2 youth centers in Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City.

In Lapu-Lapu City, 31 children and a social worker at a  care center for children tested positive for COVID-19.

Most of those who tested positive for the  were from 9 to 10-years-old, but there were also teenagers and a 20-year-old.

In Cebu City, 34 teenagers at a youth center were also hit by COVID-19, according to Councilor Dave Tumulak.

According to Tumulak, the patients ranged in age from 13 to 17.

The local government suspects that the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 has hit children in the home care center.

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