ABS-CBN reporters declared free of SARS

ABS-CBN reporters Doris Bigornia, Dindo Amparo, Aladin Bacolodan and six other news crew members were recently declared free of SARS by the Department of Health (DOH) following their 14-day quarantine period upon arrival from their news coverage in Alcala, Pangasinan.

The news team went to Alcala to do a follow-up report on the news coverage on the death of Adela and Mauricio Catalon, the first SARS victims in the country.

According to Dr. Troy Gepte, public health surveillance and information division of the National Epidemiology Center, all the TV crew who went to Barangay Vacante in Alcala showed no signs of SARS after a series of tests to find if they were afflicted with the deadly coronavirus.

ABS-CBN management provided the news team with their personal physicians under close supervision of network management and a quarantined place where they felt secure in isolation away from their families to prevent the spread of the disease.

"ABS-CBN management was concerned with the TV news crew after their coverage in Alcala, Pangasinan. The news department was even directed by managements to monitor their conditions," said ABS-CBN vice president for news, Luchi Cruz-Valdez.