- MITCH M. LIPA
Bacolod Emergency Operations Center executive director Em Ang said Jan. 3 that she already advised the management of the hotel to closely monitor the overseas Filipino worker staying there, who was found positive for the COVID Omicron variant.
Ang confirmed that the 38-year-old Pampangueño is the first Omicron case in Bacolod.
He arrived Dec. 31 at the Bacolod-Silay Airport and proceeded directly to the hotel where his wife, who is working in a call center in Bacolod, was waiting. His swab test result from the Philippine Genome Center, which showed him positive for Omicron, was released Jan. 1.
Ang said the OFW came from Miami, Florida in the United States, and works on a cruise ship. He arrived in the Philippines Dec. 15 and finished the required isolation period in Manila, but was advised to extend his quarantine in a Bacolod hotel even if he was asymptomatic.
She said there is nothing to worry since the OFW has been staying put in the hotel. His wife will also be closely monitored.
Ang said the OFW underwent an RT-PCR test Jan. 3, and the protocols set by the Department of Health will be strictly followed.
EOC deputy director for Data Analysis, Dr. Chris Sorongon, said Jan. 2 that they will review measures implemented in the borders of Bacolod, covering sea, land, and air travel, amid the Omicron threat.
The Bacolod government already vaccinated 104 percent of the target residents but authorities continue to remind people to remain vigilant against the coronavirus disease. | MML
