The Quezon City local government is now conducting extensive testing and contact tracing in the community where the patient who tested positive for the UK variant of COVID-19 resides.
“Yesterday afternoon, we were informed by the Department of Health na nandito pala sa Quezon City yung taga Cebu, dito sa Barangay Commonwealth,” Dr. Rolly Cruz, head of the QC Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit.
According to Cruz, they are now conducting active case findings, testing, and contact tracing of possible patients in Barangay Commonwealth.
“Tinitingnan natin kung may nahawa sa kanila o wala so we will know that in the next few days kasi aggressive po yung ating ginagawang testing doon at contact tracing,” said Cruz.
In an interview with TeleRadyo Thursday morning, Cruz said they have transferred the patient and his colleague to the city’s Hope Facility.
“Nag-recover na siya sa unang test niya kaya lang meron daw siyang ubo at sipon ngayon. We don’t know yet kung anong cause nung ubo na yun,” said Cruz.
Cruz said the UK COVID-19 variant patient just came home from Korea on November 17, 2020, and settled in Sucat, Parañaque.
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He applied again to work in Taiwan and when his visa was approved, he took a swab test on January 17, 2021.
“Unfortunately, nag turnout positive ito,” he said. The OFW’s sample was sent to the Philippine Genome Center for testing.
From the hotel, his agency transferred him to an apartment in Riverside in Barangay Commonwealth on a ride-hailing app.
“Kailangan nilang magpaliwanag kung bakit nila ginawa ito,” he said. They are also coordinating with the local government of Manila because that is where the said agency is based.
Cruz also admitted that testing and contact tracing will be a big challenge in the area especially since a long time has passed.
“Medyo challenging ang contact tracing, more than 24 days na ang kaniyang nakaraan bago tayo na-inform so nagba-back-track tayo,” he said.