ABOUT 267 close contacts of the 22 construction workers that tested positive for Covid-19 last week were brought immediately to the city’s isolation units (CIUs) even as their families were given food relief, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno confirmed on Saturday.
“I ordered the workers to be isolated and their close contacts to be housed in the CIUs since I’m concerned that the workers would have contact with their families. I’m also concerned that the company may cut costs and allow their workers to continue working. I also ordered the City Social Welfare and Development Office to provide food packs to the families of their workers who are likely on a ‘no work, no pay’ system. We are being careful on this,” Moreno said.
Moreno said their preemptive action would ensure that there won’t be any Covid-19 outbreak in the community.
“This situation should be addressed early because a lot of their employees are city-based. For this reason, we are being aggressive in our monitoring and extraction of close contacts. At least should any of them show symptoms they can be tested immediately,” Moreno said.
Moreno also clarified that the company ordered a work stoppage after their employees tested positive for the virus and the city government took care of their quarantine and food relief for their families.
“The company will pay the workers (even if they’re not working). Rather than ordering the project to be shut down because if we did the workers won’t be paid in full and their project won’t be completed,” Moreno said.
City Health Office (CHO) resident epidemiologist Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya Jr. said the workers were housed in separate bunkhouses, with two or three staying in one bunkhouse.
“That’s why when some of them tested positive, we extracted them immediately. The close contacts would be tested (Monday) about five days after they were brought to the isolation unit,” he said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
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