BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The 28 repatriated Bacolenos who are now quarantined in a public elementary school here have yet to be transferred to pension houses that will serve as their quarantine facilities for the remainder of the 14-day isolation after their return Tuesday night, 28 April.
Councilor Israel Salanga, who heads the Action Team on Returning OFWs (ATRO), told DNX City Hall had already identified one pension house where the OFWs would be transferred to.
It is not yet certain if all the 28 OFWs, the first batch who arrived assisted by ATRO, will be transferred to the pension house.
“It depends on the assessment of our health authorities,” Salanga said.
The first-term councilor also added that he will meet with other officials this afternoon to finalize details including signing agreements with OWWA that will pay the bills for the lodging and accommodations.
Health authorities will also check the selected lodging house and, if it complies with government specifications, City Hall will have it disinfected before the OFWs move in.
One of the OFWs at Lopez Jaena told DNX they were told they would be transferred either “today, tomorrow or Sunday.”
Salanga added it is not yet sure if all the 28 OFWs, mostly seafarers, wouls be transferred to other lodging facilities.
He said the four who have been IGG reactive during the rapid testing will be isolated from the rest of the 28 who arrived here Tuesday night from Manila.
IGG reaction means the test has detected antibodies in a test subject.
Physician Ernell Tumimbang had explained to DNX that an IGG reaction means there is a global infection in a person in the recent past.
Global infection means the antibodies produced by the immune system is for any virus like the common flu.
Confirmatory tests will be done through the RT-PCR that detects the presence of the virus itself.
