7 persons including a police officer under quarantine after contact with COVID-19 positive Mandaue City inmate

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Seven persons from Barangay Looc, Mandaue City including a police officer were placed under home quarantine after they were exposed to a COVID-19 positive inmate who was released from the Mandaue City Jail last Monday, April 27, 2020.

Felix Suico Jr., head of the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said that the seven persons included five (5) barangay tanods, a barangay staff, and a police officer from Police Station 5.

The five village watchers are quarantined at a house fronting the Barangay Hall, while the police officer and the barangay staff were advised to quarantine and isolate themselves inside their respective homes.

All seven will be included in the rapid mass testing this Monday at the Mandaue City Central Quarantine Center.

Suico said the 50-year old inmate who was released from the Mandaue City Jail last Monday was escorted by the five tanods and the police officer while the female barangay staff was the one who accommodated the inmate when the latter requested for a certification from the barangay.

Suico said that on Wednesday afternoon, they were instructed by the City Health Office to assist them in tracing the persons who were in contact with the positive inmate whose positive results were released that same day.

The inmate was released as scheduled but had undergone a swab test before he left the penal facility on Monday. Before his positive test, another inmate had already tested positive of COVID-19 and was the first COVID-19 case in the facility.

The seven persons who came in contact with the positive inmate are being monitored by the City Health Office and provided support by the city government. /rcg