A returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from this province’s capital town tested positive of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) based on results released by the Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD 6) on Sunday.

Mayor Elmer Untaran, during a press conference Monday, said the first confirmed case of the town is a 27-year-old female from Barangay San Pedro who was supposed to be preparing to return to work in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As part of the preparations, she underwent the swab test on July 23.

“The result of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test came out only last night, July 26,” Untaran said.

San Jose de Buenavista Municipal Health Officer Dr. Melba Billones in the same press conference said there are 17 persons who were exposed to the patient and now under home quarantine in her house.

“Ten of them were with the patient since she arrived last March,” she said.

She said that these 10, her family members, were negative in their rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) carried out Monday.

“The seven others were with the patient only last night because she was supposed to have a ‘despedida’ or farewell party,” Billones said.

These seven, also being quarantined in the house of the patient, will be closely monitored for the next seven days if they will show signs and symptoms of Covid-19.

“They will undergo the RPT-PCR within seven days if they will have signs and symptoms of Covid-19,” she said.

San Remigio Mayor Margarito Mission issued another official statement that their municipality has already three Covid-19 confirmed cases.

Mission said the two new Covid-19 confirmed cases were exposed to the first positive case of the town, a 22-year-old female.

They traveled together from Quezon City to San Remigio, Antique last July 17.

He said the specimens of the two other patients were collected on July 24 and released on July 27.

“We implore the public to continue practicing general preventive measures, such as proper handwashing, physical distancing, wearing of a mask, avoidance of non-essential travel outside their homes, and to observe health standards to prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 virus,” Mission said.

He said the patients, all in an isolation facility in the municipality, are in stable condition. (PNA)