One of the three latest Negros Occidental residents hit by the Delta variant was found negative for COVID-19 on retesting, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, August 30.
The 79-year-old female from Pulupandan tested negative, while the results of a 21-year-old male from La Carlota City and a 69-year-old female from Valladolid were being awaited, he said.
Three close contacts in La Carlota City and one in Valladolid were also tested for COVID-19, he added.
The houses of the Delta-hit residents were locked down pending the release of their COVID-19 test results.
A 9-year-old boy hit by the Delta variant in Silay City died on August 2, he said.
La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalando-on said the carrier of the Delta variant in his city was a locally stranded individual (LSI) from Oton, Iloilo, who declared to provincial border officials that his destination was Bago City. The LSI was swabbed at the port of disembarkation on August 1, the mayor added.
“With his deception, he did not coordinate with LGU-La Carlota to be quarantined. Instead, he went home straight to one of our barangays here in the city,” the mayor said.
On receipt of his positive test result the provincial government in coordination with the local government units tried to find him in Bago City to no avail, Jalando-on said.
He was found in one of the barangays in La Carlota City on the same day, and was immediately brought to the LGU isolation facility, the mayor said. He was asymptomatic.
After 10 days of isolation and upon release of the negative result of his repeat swab test, he was allowed to go home on August 11, the mayor said.
Fortunately, none of his relatives were infected as shown by their negative RT-PCR test results, he added.
On learning that the LSI was infected with the Delta variant Saturday, his entire household was locked down again and all members were swabbed for repeat tests, Jalando-on said.
“It has been 27 days after the LSI has been tested to be positive for the COVID Delta variant and 18 days after he was released from our isolation facility. From then to date, no one was tested positive in his barangay”, the mayor said.*