City Mayor John Geesnell Yap tasks City Health Officer (CHO) Dr. Jeia Pondoc to be on top of the testing and monitoring activities of the quarantined overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs) even if these persons are asymptomatic.

“The City Government has allocated funds for the (polymerase chain reaction) PCR testing of both the OFWs and LSIs. Although it is not required by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), we make sure that all incoming Tagbilaranons should be tested. This is to ensure that no local transmission would happen. Safety will always be our main priority, both for the returning Tagbilaranons and the local residents”, Yap said.

Regular rounds in all the quarantine facilities are strictly conducted, according to reports from the City Hall.

To date, PCR testing has already been given to 739 LSIs and OFWs who arrived in Tagbilaran City.

PCR tests were also administered to the following: those exhibiting influenza-like symptoms, authorized persons outside residences including uniformed personnel (APOR), and asymptomatic and symptomatic health care workers who had close contact with a COVID-19 positive patient.

Moreover, Pondoc said that every quarantine facility in Tagbilaran City is equipped with an area for PCR testing and swabbing. 

Furthermore, Pondoc also assured the Tagbilaranons that all medical personnel assigned in the testing area are furnished with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are told to strictly observe hand hygiene. 

The data regarding the details of the testing are collected through phone calls to avoid exposure to the medical health worker who conducted the tests.

Pondoc also gave the assurance that those medical workers who have conducted the tests will be quarantined for 14 days, aside from the mandatory PCR testing.

The CHO also stressed that once you are negative from the test, it does not mean that you cannot be infected with COVID anymore.

Protocols like proper hand washing, social distancing, and wearing of face masks should still be strictly observed. 

To date, there are three (3) active cases in Tagbilaran City, and all of them are asymptomatic, and three (3) have already recovered.