OF NINE persons under investigation (PUI) in Bacolod City, six of them were tested negative for the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD).

This was confirmed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of the City Inter-Agency Task Force Against the Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) in a statement Monday, February 10.

Of the six patients cleared of 2019-nCoV, three have already been discharged while the other three are expected to be discharged Tuesday, the statement said.

Dr. Grace Tan, spokesperson of the task force, said last week, a Canadian national was discharged after the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) released its negative result.

“We have already six PUIs that were tested negative for nCoV so it’s a good development,” she added.

Of the six patients currently admitted, four are from Bacolod and two from outside Bacolod. They presented with signs and symptoms of flu and history of travel from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Those who were discharged from hospital, Tan said they will undergo the 14-day quarantine in their homes and they will be monitored by the surveillance officers.

The task force also held a meeting yesterday and discussed the specific functions and roles of the task force members who have a vital role for the control and prevention of nCoV.

The City Council earlier approved the P10 million Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) fund for the task force nCoV.

The budget will be used for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the response team, the hospitals especially the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Bacolod City Police Office, and other health personnel.

Tan said the community needs to be involved as much in monitoring of the persons under monitoring and be vigilant in terms of sharing information about nCoV.

She reiterated to the public to continue practicing proper hygiene, washing hands regularly, observing proper cough and sneeze etiquette, drinking plenty of water, keeping a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding contacts with persons who are sick.