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CEBU CITY, Philippines — The City of Naga is still awaiting at least 37 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test results, including four samples that were taken as far back as May 4, 2020.
On the June 23, 2020-Situation Report of the city, it said that test results of the swab samples of four suspected COVID-19 cases that were taken on May 4, 15, 18, and 25, one taken on and June 2 remain pending.
Ruth Alensonorin, the city’s public information officer, said the local government unit regularly follows up with the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) for updates on the samples. However, no explanation for the almost month-long delay for some samples has been given yet.
“There has been no explanation so far. In fact, Mayor [Kristine Vanessa Chiong] personally is doing the follow up aside from [the follow-up made by] the CHO (City Health Office),” Alensonorin told CDN Digital.
Aside from the five suspected cases that have been waiting for their test results for quite some time now now, 32 suspected cases and close contacts of previously confirmed cases whose swab samples were taken between June 15 to June 23 are also awaiting their results.
Alensonorin said these individuals remain in the city-managed facilities in barangays Inoburan and Langtad while awaiting their results.
While some of these patients awaiting their results were either past or approaching the end of their mandatory quarantine period already, Alensonorin said the city’s COVID-19 task force has yet to discuss and decide the measures it will take for the persons who are still waiting for their results.
“As of now, we are bent on getting the results. The CHO is regularly monitoring their health conditions,” Alensonorin added.
Since the start of the COVID-19 surveillance and monitoring, a total of 437 individuals from the city have been tested for COVID-19 through the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
READ: With COVID hospitals ‘full,’ Naga patient awaits transfer
As of June 23, the city has a total of 37 COVID-19 cases of which, 28 are active four have been declared as recovered and 5 expired. /bmjo