Including first COVID-19 batch from Zapatera: 46 Luz residents out of isolation

CEBU, Philippines —  After 50 days at the Barangay Isolation Center (BIC), 25 residents from the first batch from sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz in Cebu City who tested positive for COVID-19 were sent home on Thursday, June 11.

They were released with 21 other residents from the third batch, this time from different sitios, who were isolated since May 23. These residents were already on home quarantine before they were transferred to the BIC.

On Thursday, they were sent back home with a sack of rice each.

These residents have been asymptomatic since the time they tested positive for COVID-19 but the City Health Department is yet to give them a certification they are now COVID-free.

Earlier, Department of Health - 7 Director Jaime Bernadas said a patient can be declared recovered, depending on the doctor’s assessment, if he or she has been in isolated for at least 21 days.

"Dunay issuance si Sec. (Francisco) Duque on the discharges ug pag-declare sa recoveries sa atong mga pasyente sa COVID. Ang atong bag-ong guidelines karon, mag-base na sa clinical decision sa mga doctors. Gawas kung dili available ang test or nisobra na siya sa iyang 21 days, at least, nga confinement or ang sa iyang isolation, pwede na gyud na siya i-declare nga recovered,” Bernadas said.

(Sec. Duque has an issuance on the discharges and declaring the recoveries among our COVID patients. According to new guidelines, it will be based on the clinical decision of the doctors. When the test is unavailable and the patient has been confined or isolated for more than 21 days, at least, he or she can be declared recovered.)

Under the interim guidelines on expanded testing for COVID-19 issued last May 29, DOH says "Discharge and recovery criteria for suspect, probable, and confirmed COVID-19 cases shall no longer entail repeat testing. Symptomatic patients who have clinically recovered and are no longer symptomatic for at least 3 days and have completed at least 14 days of isolation either at home, temporary treatment and monitoring facility, or hospital, can be tagged as a recovered confirmed case and reintegrated to the community without the need for further testing, provided that a licensed medical doctor clears the patient. Patients who test RT-PCR positive and remain asymptomatic for at least 14 days can discontinue quarantine and tagged as a recovered confirmed case without need for further testing, provided a licensed medical doctor clears the patient."

One of those sent home told The Freeman that a health worker went to the BIC on June 10 and told them to clean up as officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) were to visit the center. They would also be released from isolation.

“Gipahinlo mi sa BIC kay naa daw bisita mga taga IATF muadto pero wala may niadto maong nakuyawan gani mi’g basin mapalaw na pud mi maong sige mi’g follow-up. Pagkahapon, gipagawas na dayon mi by batch,” the resident said.

(We were told to clean the BIC because IATF representatives were going to visit but no one came on the day so we were actually worried and we followed up persistently. Afternoon on that day, we were released by batch.)

The first batch of patients in isolation, 65 of them, were re-swabbed on May 7 and got their results on May 9. Twenty-four of them remained positive at that time while the test result of one other was yet to be validated.

The remaining 25 then took a rapid anti-body test on May 18, the same day the second batch were re-tested using both rapid and PCR tests.

The second batch underwent the second round of rapid anti-body test on May 28 at which point the first batch still have not received the result of their re-test.

Even with the result of the re-test still unavailable, the 25 residents from the first batch were re-swabbed on June 5 together with residents from the third batch. They were told to wait six days for the result.

They were not told of the result until their release on June 11.

The resident who spoke with The Freeman said they are staying home, especially that they cannot look for jobs or return to work without the certification from the city.

Right now, there are still about 12 patients at the BIC in Barangay Luz and sitio Zapatera where the number of cases first spiked in the barangay, remains on lockdown.

Only workers and holders of the quarantine pass can go out for their jobs and to buy essential goods.  JMO (FREEMAN)