CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno said Tuesday, June 2, that City Health Office epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya has tested negative for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after he was exposed to a Covid suspect and confirmed cases.
It can be noted that Retuya has been absent for three days in the City Government's daily press briefing.
Moreno said Retuya got himself swabbed and tested after he experienced "discomfort."
"Si Dr. Retuya, tungod sa iyang trabaho, gets exposed sa mga Covid suspects or even Covid positive. Part sa hazard of his service is kanang exposure," Moreno said.
"We know the risks that you are exposing yourself to in the kind of work that you do," he added.
The mayor and the other members of the panel, namely: Emergency Operations Center head Dr. Lorraine Nery, Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) medical specialist Dr. Bernard Rocha and Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) spokesperson Major Ivan Viñas, also assured the public that all of them have shown no unusual signs or symptoms of the virus and are in good health.
Rocha said at present, there is not a single staff at the NMMC, since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, who have tested positive of the virus.
"In NMMC, ang among staff since the time of this Covid, wala gyud mi nag test og positive pa," Rocha said.
Nery, for her part, appealed to the public to avail themselves of their online consultations if they feel ill or experiencing the symptoms of the virus.
"I appeal to the public nga kun naa man gyud moy gibati, ayaw kahadlok magpakonsulta. Ayaw kahadlok nga moduol sa mga health authorities. Mao ga offer mi sa among mga online consultations and teleconsultations sa NMMC para you still have access to health care kung kailangan," Nery said.