3 Western Visayas hospital staff test positive for COVID-19

The Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) is undergoing decontamination after three of its personnel tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to a report on "24 Oras," almost 80 hospital staff who had close contact with the patients -- a nurse, radiologic technologist, and institutional worker -- took a swab test.

"Na-contact tracing naman sila, na-isolate naman sila and admitted sila ngayon sa aming COVID isolation room," WVMC chief Dr. Joseph Dean Nicolo said.

"Ang contact tracing sa family, ginawa na ng City sa aming hospital. Ang mga staff na kasama nila sa contact trace," he added.

The nurse and the rad technologist are both asymptomatic while the institutional worker displayed symptoms of the illness.

The WVMC said that it is considering the possibility that all individuals are carriers of the virus. Due to this, the management is strictly implementing health protocols.

"We want to document it kung saan talaga nanggaling. Kung sa pasyente ba talaga o baka sa staff din naming exposed na nakasakay sa sasakyan. So, we'll never know kung community o hospital kasi may pandemic ngayon," Nicolo said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News