Wearing of face masks spared 48 individuals in Talisay, Cebu from COVID-19

face masks | STOCK PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines – All individuals, who came in close contact with Talisay City’s second coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient, tested negative of the virus, Mayor Gerald Anthony ‘Samsam’ Gullas announced on Saturday, May 9.

In a post on Facebook, Gullas said the city government had received the test results of the swab samples from 48 individuals, including a barangay captain, who were considered as contacts of a 33-year-old female COVID-19 patient from Barangay San Roque.

“From neighbors, barangay officials, and all others that have come in contact with the second patient. All of them (tested) negative,” he said.

Gullas also said that they found out that all contacts had worn face masks when they interacted with the patient from Barangay San Roque.

“Actually, some of them went close with the second patient, and even talked with her, but all of them wore a mask. This signifies the importance of wearing a mask in public,” he added.

This development also prompted Gullas to urge residents in Talisay City, a second-class city that is a neighboring city of Cebu City in the south, to always wear face masks.

“I urge all of you to use this as an example to always wear masks in public. It may spell the difference between catching the virus or not,” Gullas said

Talisay City now has a total of five confirmed COVID-19 cases, two of whom have already succumbed to the disease that also infected over 1,600 individuals in Cebu.

Gullas said they were waiting for the swab test results of those who came in close contact with the other three COVID-19 patients logged in Talisay City. /dbs