While still awaiting the result of her polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a female locally stranded individual (LSI) escaped from facility quarantine in Inabanga with the help of her live-in partner on Wednesday morning, police said.
Senior Master Sgt. Ricky Remata of the Inabanga Police Station said that the 31-year-old LSI left an elementary school which was used as quarantine facility and was picked up by her live-in partner.
“Gi pugngan man kuno pero mi sakay siya dayon sa sakyanan, wa na ka pugong tong mga nagbantay didto,” Remata said.
She was found by police later in the day at her home in Lotao, Inabanga.
Remata said that she may be slapped with charges for violating quarantine protocol.
According to Inabanga Municipal Health Officer Dr. Edan Rospan Ajo, the LSI had already completed her supposed 14-day mandatory quarantine but she had to extend her stay at the facility after another Inabanga LSI tested positive for COVID-19.
She was considered as a contact of the COVID-19 patient as both were inside the facility at the same time and LSIs were not prohibited to interact with each other.
They were supposed to wait for the results of their PCR tests and yield negative results before they will be allowed to go home.
“Manggawas man gud na sila, nagkilaw pa gani. Pabudlong. Gi-limit ra man unta na namo ng time na maggawas-gawas,” he said. “Ang gi allow ra unta namo 10 to 30 minutes sila makagawas para makapainit pud sila.”
The Inabanga Local Government Unit in a statement also said that the LSI who bolted quarantine was “difficult to manage.”
“Usa usab ni siya sa mga LSI nga lisod i-manage sa medical team ky uncooperative. Dili tigsul-ob og facemask, magsaba-saba ug magsyagit-syagit sulod sa quarantine facility sukad sa iyang pag-abot,” it said.
LSIs in Inabanga are quarantined inside two rooms of a public school, one is for male while the other is for females.
Their sleeping areas are divided using cubicles inside the rooms.
On June 20, the provincial government announced that one of the LSIs of the town tested positive for COVID-19.
He was the town’s first and, as of Wednesday, the only COVID-19 case. (Allen Doydora)