DOH assures: COVID-19 tests in Sitio Zapatera won’t be stopped

A resident of in Metro Manila undergoes COVID-19 test. In Cebu, particularly in Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz, Cebu City, the Department of Health has assured that the testing will continue and will not be stopped. | INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has assured that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing will not stop for residents of Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz in Cebu City.

DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire made this statement in a virtual press conference on April 17, 2020.

“Hindi po ibig sabihin na hindi po isasailalim sa testing ang mga residente dito lalo na at nagsimula na po ang ating expanded testing,” said Vergeire.

(We are not saying that the testing of the residents will be stopped especially now that we have started our expanded testing in the area.)

“So, hindi po totoo na hindi na po itetest ang mga tao dito sa ating Sitio Zapatera dahil sinasabi po na may community transmission, dahil po sa expanded testing. Mag tetesting rin po dito,” she added.

(It’s not true that we will stop testing the people in Sitio Zapatera because it is said that there is community transmission there. Because we have an expanding testing here, we will continue the tests here.)

Sitio Zapatera, an urban poor community, has been placed on total lockdown since April 7, 2020 when a 58-year-old male was reported to have been infected with COVID-19.

As of April 17, there are now 135 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the sub-village where over 9,000 individuals or 800 families reside.

Vergeire also said only those who had undergone legitimate tests and were found to be positive would be included in the count of COVID-19 cases in the country.

In a separate press release, the DOH – 7 also clarified that all individuals in Sitio Zapatera should ‘not be thought of as infected’.

“The residents are not thought of as infected,” Dr. Jaime Bernadas was quoted as saying in the statement.

In the same document, Bernadas said only contact tracing activities would be halted in areas where community transmission had been confirmed.

He added that swabbing and extraction of samples from individuals in Sitio Zapatera, who were found to be symptomatic, would continue as part of DOH’s surveillance protocols.

“However, quarantine is implemented to ensure that the ongoing transmission is limited within geographic reach,” he added.

Central Visayas has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the Visayas area, with 180 as of April 17, 2020./dbs