RETURNING overseas Filipino workers (ROFW) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Benguet who had undergone swab testing for Covid-19 will not be sent home until results are out.
Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas disclosed the protocol following the Provincial Inter Agency Task Force (PIATF) Meeting at the provincial Capitol on Monday, July 6.
"It was observed that there are cases where in patients are tested for Covid-19 in Manila, but once they arrive in the province, they are positive for Covid-19. What we see as reason is because they did not complete the 14-day quarantine in Manila, that is why we want the 14-day quarantine to be complete in Manila," he added.
Members of PIATF also made a motion making a resolution, asking individuals from outside Benguet to complete their 14-day quarantine.
"If they undergone RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing, they cannot be released back in their respective community. We will wait for the test result. Once they tested negative for Covid-19, they can be released," he added.
After swabbing, the individual must stay at the temporary provincial quarantine facility while waiting for the test result.
The Benguet Training Center (BTC) in Wangal, La Trinidad serves as triage center and temporary quarantine facility for LSIs and ROFWs.
As of this writing July 7, there are 331 ROFWs and 433 LSIs who were accommodated.
Diclas said aside from the temporary provincial quarantine facility, persons tested for coronavirus who are awaiting their respective results can be quarantined in municipal quarantine facilities.
Previously, the 13 local government units were urged to put up their own quarantine facilities to accommodate arrival of ROFWs and LSIs.
The Teachers Camp in Baguio City was also identified as triage area for ROFWs of Baguio, Benguet and Mt. Province.
Benguet, as of Tuesday, July 7, has 43 confirmed cases, 38 recoveries and five active cases admitted at the Benguet General Hospital and in Sto. Niño quarantine facility in Baguio.