THE Covid-19 patient from Libertad town, Misamis Oriental, was with six other overseas Filipino workers who boarded a plane that landed at the Laguindingan Airport on June 6.
Capitol officials revealed this today even as the province's health workers started their contact-tracing work after the man from Libertad tested positive for Covid-19 while on isolation on Thursday.
Dr. Jerie Calingasan, provincial health officer and head of Misamis Oriental's inter-agency task force on Covid-19, said the man was with a group of OFWs in the plane that brought stranded workers back to Mindanao.
Six of the returning workers are still on quarantine and are being observed in isolation facilities in Villanueva, Lugait and Gingoog city, said Calingasan.
Calingasan said there were more OFWs in that plane - from Lanao del Sur, Lanao Norte, and Misamis Occidental, among others. - and he has already informed the health officers of these provinces about the test results on the man from Libertad.
The OFW from Libertad, the first documented Covid-19 patient from Misamis Oriental, had come from Saudi Arabia.
Calingasan said he was fetched by Libertad town hall workers and brought straight to an isolation facility for quarantine. He said the worker has not been to his Libertad home yet.
"Gikan sa Laguindingan Airport, gitabo ni siya sa LGU Libertad, gidala dayon kini siya sa isolation unit ug wala pa gyud kini siya nakaduol sa iyang pamilya pa," said Calingasan.
He returned to the country on May 23, and was quarantined for 14 days in Manila. Officials said he tested negative for Covid-19 in Manila.
Calingasan said the man had mild cough and sore throat when he arrived in Misamis Oriental, and so, his specimen was taken for laboratory testing. He tested positive on June 11, and was admitted to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).
"Mild ra kaayo ug stable ang pasyente karon," said Calingasan.
He said there is no indication there are community-acquired Covid-19 cases in Misamis Oriental. (Shiela Mae Butlig)
