Authorities probe allegations that Covid-patient had close contact with LSI companion 

Authorities in Sagbayan and in the province are set to conduct an investigation to verify allegations that the Sagbayan lady Covid-positive patient had a close contact with a locally stranded individual (LSI) as a companion.

The issue stems from allegations that Sagbayan’s third Covid-positive case may have come in close contact with an LSI as a companion.

In a telephone interview on Saturday, July 25, 2020, Sagbayan’s executive assistant to the mayor and spokesman Silito Pon confirmed that his office and the Municipal Health Office (MHO) headed by Dr. Dewy Demandante will conduct an independent investigation to determine if the allegations are true.

Pon said that there is a need to launch the probe to pin down where the Sagbayan lady Covid-positive patient got the virus.

He added that the probe is necessary in the interest of the public as any findings will be crucial in forming the town’s health policies.  

Pon added in the same telephone interview that Sagbayan authorities want to know where the patient got the infection.

Pon indicated that their probe will start on Monday, July 27, 2020. Pon and the municipal health officer (MHO) are inviting personalities who can help shed light on the veracity of the allegations.

From the looks of the situation, the probe will probably open a lot of questions revolving on the LSI companion’s health condition and why they were able to visit the Covid-positive patient.

As this developed, the provincial authorities are looking into he veracity of the allegations about the LSI/companion allegedly having close contact with the lady Covid-positive patient from Sagbayan.

Health authorities in the province are currently busy with the contact tracing of the Sagbayan patient’s first and second generation close contacts. Authorities describe the contact tracing activities as “challenging” as two (2) towns are involved—Sagbayan and Bilar.

It was mentioned in reports that health authorities are checking if there is an LSI/companion included in the list of persons included in the first and second generation contact tracing activities. 

INITIAL INFORMATION

Pon told The Bohol Tribune that an MHO nurse from Carmen allegedly relayed an information to the MHO nurse in Sagbayan, saying that an LSI/companionvisited the office of the Sagbayan Covid-positive patient in Bilar.

The Carmen MHO nurse learned about the allegation from the MHO of Carmen, Pon told the Bohol Tribune.

Pon added that allegedly the Carmen MHO, Amelia Sumatra, had a patient from Bilar who identified the LSI. 

The LSI/companien allegedly visited the lady Sagbayan Covid-positive in her office. It was the patient, in turn who allegedly relayed to Sumatra, the alleged visit of the LSI  and companion to the Covid-positive patient’s office in Bilar.

Acting on the information, Sagbayan’s MHO Demandante asked the lady Covid-positive patient regarding the allegation that she had contact with an LSI/companion. The patient categorically denied the allegation, according to Pon.

Moreover, in an earlier radio interview on “Open Forum” on Friday, July 24, 2020, Pon said that the lady Covid-positive patient is generally cooperative in providing information regarding her close contacts in Sagbayan.

He said that there is a huge possibility that the Covid positive patient may have picked up the virus outside the town of Sagbayan.

Pon also said in the radio interview that as a social worker, the lady Covid positive patient may have interacted with her fellow social workers, too.

However, Pon said that, as of the moment, there is no solid piece of evidence to pinpoint where and when the Covid-positive patient got infected.

Pon mentioned in the same radio interview that Sagbayan’s Pantawid Pamilya program focal person had a close contact with the lady Covid-positive patient.

He also revealed that the contact tracing activity in Bilar already identified the direct contacts of the Covid-positive patient there.

Currently, the third positive Covid case has mild symptoms and currently in the town’s isolation facility and is being taken care of by trained nurses supervised by the MHO.

Local authorities of Sagbayan are “hopeful” that the new Covid positive patient will recover soon as the symptoms are subsiding, Pon said.

Pon also said that currently,authorities only know the patient works as a staff of the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) for the Pantawid Pamilya prpgram in the town of Bilar. He added that the Covid positive patient returns home to Sagbayan during weekends.

Apart from the current case, Sagbayan had two (2) other positive cases of Covid, both of whom have already recovered from the disease.

ONE IN SEVEN CASES OF LOCAL TRANSMISSION

The Sagbayan case is just one (1) of seven (7) latest positive Covid cases which are tagged as local or community transmission.

The other known local or community transmission cases are from Ubay, Alicia, Calape, Danao, Catigbian, and Tagbilaran City.

The Covid positive cases from the said locations are patients who are not LSIs, OFWs, or authorized persons outside residence (APOR) nor considered as “imported” cases from Covid infection hotspots such as Manila or Cebu City.

With the rising number of “local transmission” which is also called “community transmission”, the provincial leadership ordered Bohol mayors and the local police force to strictly enforce the minimum health standards and protocol.

Currently, Bohol is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), which is a relaxed community quarantine standard compared to the enhanced community quarantine.