46 BMC health workers negative for Covid-19

A TEAM of medical health frontliners. JBN/CEPPIO

NAGA CITY --- The forty-six health workers of the Bicol Medical Center (BMC) who underwent compulsory swab testing were found to be free from Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) based on the test results released Monday, Apr. 27.

The Naga City government welcomed the results as good news. The city earlier requested President Rodrigo Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to extend the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the city until May 15, 2020.

The 46 health workers form part the first batch of around 70 BMC personnel who were required by the hospital to undergo testing for Covdi-19. Results of the tests conducted on the remaining number of hospital workers are expected to be released within the week.

In a related news, the city council here has enacted an ordinance that will penalize a person for “committing any act which cause or tend to cause stigma, shame and humiliation” on any frontliner and individual suspected or confirmed to have infected with Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

City Ordinance 2020-33, also known as “The Anti-Discrimination of Covid-19 or Other Human Infectious Diseases Patients Ordinance of Naga City,” authored by Councilor Joselito SA Del Rosario, provided that it shall be unlawful for any person to cause stigma, disgrace or humiliation against a person who is a suspect, probable, or confirmed with Covid-19 or other human infectious disease, including health worker or frontliner.

Mayor Nelson S. Legacion, who aproved the ordinance, said that the spirit of the measure is to protect Covid-19 patients, medical health workers and other persons working in the frontline against the disease from discriminatory remarks they are experiencing.

“Our frontliners rightly deserve to be taken care of and provided with proper treatment for putting their lives at risk if only to save other people’s lives,” Legacion said.