(Eagle News) — Coast Guard personnel intercepted a 32-year-old man upon entry into Zamboanga Del Norte after he presented swab test results that showed he was positive for COVID-19.
In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said the man was discovered to be positive for the virus at the Port of Dapitan upon his arrival on board a RoRo vessel from Dumaguete City during the required checking of arriving passengers to curb the transmission of COVID-19.
Coast Guard personnel coordinated with the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and transported the COVID-19-positive passenger to a designated isolation facility, in accordance with local quarantine protocols.
The provincial IATF, meanwhile, ordered immediate contact tracing of infected contacts for immediate isolation.
It also ordered a disinfection of the vessel, which is temporarily prevented from leaving also pending the release of RT-PCR test results of primary to tertiary close contacts of the COVID-19-positive passenger.
The PCG District Southwestern Mindanao reminded its units to strictly implement health and safety protocols within their areas of responsibility, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The provincial IATF has ordered a probe into how the passenger managed to board the vessel even with his swab test results positive for the virus.