Retest eludes some Luz patients

CEBU, Philippines —  Asymptomatic patients housed at the barangay isolation center in Barangay Luz, Cebu City are hoping they can be retested as soon as possible so they would know their next actions now that they have completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Roy Genares, one of the first batch of patients in isolation, said that according to barangay health workers assigned in the isolation facility, retesting is not available yet because of the lack of testing kits.

“Lapas na kaayo mi’s quarantine period, wala pa’y labot atong naa pa mi’s amo. Sa diri lang sa isolation center pero wa pa mi ma-retest gihapon kung negative na ba mi o dili kay ingon tong barangay health worker nga kuwang pa daw ang test kits para namo,” Genares told The FREEMAN.

(We are way beyond the required quarantine period. That does not even include our own quarantine efforts back home before we were brought here. We have not been retested to see if we are already negative or not. A barangay health worker said testing kits are not enough.)

Genares reiterated that they do not know that they should do as they have not been advised by authorities. However, he agrees that they should not be allowed to go back to their respective homes without going through another testing.

He also asked why there is a supposed lack of testing kits when mass testing is being undertaken in other areas.

Genares, a school principal, has been initiating activities to keep his fellow patients preoccupied and fit while on isolation at the Barrio Luz Elementary School.

He is among the first batch of 67 patients who were whisked off their homes and brought to the facility in an attempt to manage the spread of the virus in their sitio.

The second batch consists of 59 other patients, all of whom also asymptomatic, meaning they are not showing physical signs of the illness.  JMD (FREEMAN)