San Fernando City vice mayor tests positive for COVID-19

San Fernando City vice mayor Jimmy Lazatin tested positive for COVID-19 despite not leaving the city. And as far as he knew, Lazatin said, he did not interact with anyone who had the coronavirus.

Lazatin himself disclosed the test result on his Facebook post on Monday, July 27.

“Kahapon po ay sumailalim ako sa PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test o swab testing at lumabas po ang resulta ngayon. Ikinalulungkot ko po ipaalam na ako ay napositibo sa COVID-19. Wala po ako travel outside San Fernando sa nakalipas na 14 araw at wala rin po akong alam na naging contact sa isang positive patient,” the city vice mayor said.

(Yesterday, I underwent a PCR test or swab testing and the result came out today. It’s with a heavy heart that I tell you that I am COVID-19 positive. I did not travel outside San Fernando for the past 14 days and as far as I know, I did not have any contact with a positive patient.)

Lazatin said that apart from a mild cough, he was feeling well.

Lazatin said he is already on self-quarantine. He appealed to everyone he had contact with since July 20 to make themselves available for necessary testing.

“Sa mga taong aking nakasalamuha mula Lunes, Hulyo 20, 2020, ipagbigay alam lamang po ito sa City Health Office o sa aking tanggapan para po kayo ay maisasailalim sa mandatory contact tracing and medical assessment,” he said.

On July 19, Candaba town Mayor Rene Maglangque also said in a Facebook post that he was COVID-19 positive after taking an RT-PCR test a day earlier.

Maglangque said on July 25 that he already tested negative for COVID-19 in his second RT-PCR test. He said he will continue his home quarantine until another negative result would come out in the third swab test he plans to take on July 27.

Netizens who reacted to the posts of Lazatin and Maglangque commended the 2 local officials for publicly disclosing their health status and helping facilitate the necessary contact tracing. Health experts have said that contact tracing is one of the effective ways to break the chain of coronavirus infection.

As of July 27, the entire Pampanga has 250 PCR- confirmed cases, 148 of whom have recovered and 18 died. Of the confirmed cases in the province, San Fernando City has 42 confirmed cases and Candaba has 5 confirmed cases. – Rappler.com