Six Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Western Visayas, two of whom are from Negros Occidental, found positive for the United Kingdom COVID-19 variant recovered in Manila before they returned to their home provinces, a Department of Health official said today, February 24.
The six – three from Iloilo, two from Negros Occidental, and one from Capiz – who tested positive for the UK variant on their arrival in Manila were quarantined and recovered there, Dr. Jessie Glen Alonsabe, regional epidemiologist of the Department of Health in Western Visayas, said.
They were mostly seafarers who arrived from the United States, Europe and the Middle East, he said.
One of the two Negrenses was already negative for the virus when she arrived in Negros Occidental, and was quarantined for another 15 days as a precaution, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, confirmed.
The other Negrense is in Manila, Alonsabe said.
Meanwhile, Tumimbang said the Negrense couple from Pontevedra who arrived from the United Kingdom and tested positive for COVID-19 did not have the UK variant.
All the samples sent to the Philippine Genome Center by Negros Occidental tested negative for the UK variant, he said.*