The mall manager of the Island City Mall (ICM) breaks the news that the RT-PCR test result of the Information Technology (IT) staffer who died on July 6, 2020 is negative for Covid infection.

In a post, ICM mall manager Mario Cirujales said that “Let’s pray for those people who wasted their time in spreading the fake news, shared it and made negative comments about us, that they may come to their senses now, if they have lost it in the past days.”

Cirujales’ post was addressed to those who spread rumors on social media like wildfire about the IT staffer who exhibited Covid symptoms prior the latter’s death on July 6, 2020 at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH).

With the result, the people of Tagbilaran can now rest with ease and put the entire episode behind.

On Friday (July 10, 2020), the ICM management had to come up with a public statement to counter the rumors that were spreading around the social media circles.

In the statement, the mall management declared the following: “We would like to clarify the unfounded rumors circulated on social media regarding the death of one of our employees at the IT Department of Island City Mall.”

The same statement said, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our team members and we continuously offer our prayers for the family of the late employee.”

The ICM management indicated in the statement, “To clarify, an employee assigned at our IT Department passed away last July 6, 2020.”

It was further stated that, “Before that, the employee had not been reporting for work for more than a week. In line with the government’s protocols currently in place, a swab sample for (polymerase chain reaction) PCR testing was taken from the late employee.”

The same statement continued, “As part of our proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our customers and employees, the work area of the employee was immediately put into lockdown and was properly disinfected upon learning of the employee’s passing away.”

“Being an IT Staff, the employee was not part of the sales group of the mall and was not assigned in the selling area nor in the public spaces of the Mall,” the ICM management explained.

The statement further revealed that, “During these times, we encourage everybody to only rely on official sources of information regarding the situation of the pandemic. The spread of false information about COVID-19 is not helpful to our community. Since the onset of this pandemic, the management has been taking extra precaution by continually sanitizing and disinfecting our stores inorder to protect you, our valued customers and our employees as well in compliance with the mandated government protocols.”