- YVES B. MONTECILLO
A workplace transmission of COVID-19 is believed to have taken place at Transcom, a business process outsourcing company, in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City.
Dr. Chris Sorongon, medical deputy of the Emergency Operation Center, said 41 employees tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
The infections prompted the 24-hour shutdown of the BPO for disinfection and decontamination scheduled today, Feb. 1.
The clustering of new COVID-19 cases triggered a four-hour emergency virtual conference presided by Mayor Evelio Leonardia, City Administrator Em Ang said.
Bacolod City Police Office head Col. Manuel Placido went to the site as personnel were deployed to ensure that nobody enters nor exits the premises while health protocols are being conducted.
Dr. Sorongon said EOC started monitoring Transcom on Jan. 23, when a 21-year-old male employee tested positive.
The patient, he said, had fever and cough, adding that they immediately conducted contact-tracing.
On the same day, two more employees were tested positive.
On Jan. 25 and 26, two more cases were reported and another two on Jan. 27.
Seven more positive cases were reported on Jan. 29, he said.
The number of infections prompted EOC to conduct surveillance tests on 594 employees on Jan. 29 and 30.
Out of those tested, at least 27 were found positive of the virus, bringing the total of infections to 41.
Of the total positive cases, 33 are Bacolod residents and the eight others are from outside of the city.
The EOC officer said that close contacts at home of the patients tested negative.
The city government is looking into a possible breach of protocol by the company for its alleged failure in scanning the BacTrac ID.
The EOC recommended improvements in the physical working conditions like observance of physical distancing, work-from-home arrangement and temporary lodging and transportation for workers, as well as strict compliance with the use of the BaCTrac system, Ang added.
It is a ‘lesson learned’, Dr. Sorongon said, as she stressed that the public should be reminded that the virus is still around. – YBM
