) – January 8, 2021 – 12:00am
CEBU, Philippines — The Sinulog participant who earlier showed flu-like symptoms was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, Cebu City Emergency Operations Center deputy chief implementer and Councilor Joel Garganera revealed yesterday about an hour after the Sinulog cultural show was announced cancelled.
At least 90 people considered close contacts of the participant are now being traced.
The participant, whose role was an instrumentalist to a barangay contingent, was swabbed after experiencing fever and body pains.
The officials of the barangay where the participant was staying had asked the EOC to do the swab test after the person manifested symptoms.
“But we’ve contact-traced na. In their practice, isolated ang mga instrumentalists sa mga dancers. But this a reminder that during the practice strict compliance of the health protocol is a must at all times,” said Garganera in a statement to the reporters.
Garganera said there are at least 90 close contacts being identified.
He said three other members of the instrumentalist’s household will also most likely get swabbed.
For Garganera, “right now, it’s really not safe” for the contingent where the instrumentalist belong to to present their Sinulog performance.
“But, again I have to wait for the result of the contact tracing kay for all we know basin wala na na siya moreport when he experienced the symptoms. So, atong tan-awon,” he said.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama announced earlier in the day that the Sinulog performances supposed to be held at the South Road Properties were already cancelled.
Testing participants
Meanwhile, Garganera disclosed that the COVID testing on Sinulog participants will push through and that City Health Department officer-in-charge Jeffrey Ibones will be on top of this initiative.
Garganera added that he has observed that city residents are already disciplined enough to have themselves tested for COVID-19 when they manifest symptoms.
“Ang mga tawo karon medyo edukado naman. Og naa sila’y mga gamay nga gipamati, modiretso naman sa atong mga cluster clinic, magpa-test naman,” he said. — JMD (FREEMAN)