NINE health personnel of the Department of Health (DOH) in Davao Region tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 while wearing complete personal protective equipment (PPE).
DOH-Davao Assistant Director Lenny Joy Rivera confirmed that one doctor and eight medical technologists of the agency were among those who tested positive for the virus in the May 29 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result.
She said the personnel is part of the specimen management team and case investigation team who are assigned to swab tests Covid-19 patients.
She clarified that their personnel was wearing complete PPEs while conducting swab tests.
"Constant exposure siguro kaya siguro nahawaan sila. That is why we are doing investigation until now kung papaano talaga nag leak yung pagkaroon ng nine DOH personnel straight talaga sila in one day (They probably got infected with the virus due to exposure. We are investigating how the personnel got the virus because all of them tested positive in just one day)," she said.
Rivera also clarified that the personnel was tested as part of their protocol and not because they manifested symptoms of the Covid-19.
"It is part of our routine na pagkatapos mo pumunta ng field, may magsa-swab sayo whether you are asymptomatic or symptomatic (It is part of our routine that after you returned to the office from the field, you will undergo swab tests even if you are asymptomatic)," she said.
She said the nine personnel are also asymptomatic and were later quarantined in one of the isolation facilities of the city.
DOH-Davao also swabbed 23 of their personnel who were considered close contacts of the Covid-19 positive personnel.
"Sa lahat ng aming na swab after nung nine [personnel], wala po ni-isa nag positive. Negative po lahat yung mga (in) close contact pero pinagpatuloy pa rin namin yung 14-day quarantine ng (in) close contact nung 9 [personnel] namin (All of those who were in close contact with the nine personnel tested negative for Covid-19 but they are still at the isolation facilities to continue their 14-day quarantine)," she said.
As of June 9, the nine personnel already tested negative for the virus.