Four employees of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) have tested positive for COVID-19, assistant provincial health officer Dr. Yul Lopez confirmed on Thursday morning.

Lopez, who is also the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) spokesperson, told the Chronicle that the Bohol Containerized PCR Laboratory released the positive test results of the three employees on Wednesday night.

Lopez said the three PHO workers have been quarantined since last week as they were identified as “high-risk” close contacts of another employee who tested positive on January 15.

“Pagkapositive gyud aning kauban namo na usa, kining first positive, gi orderan nako daan na mag-quarantine na kadtong mga identified nga close contact unya among gipang swab tanan,” Lopez said.

All four employees were asymptomatic but remained under quarantine. Their close contacts whose swab samples have already been extracted for testing were also ordered to isolate themselves.

Meanwhile, PHO employees, including Lopez, who already yielded negative PCR test results and were considered as “very low risk” in terms of contact with their COVID-stricken coworkers continued to report for work.

The PHO also carried out a thorough disinfection of their office inside the Capitol.

Earlier, a member of First District Rep. Edgar Chatto’s staff who also held office at the Capitol tested positive for the disease.

Lopez said that the the first PHO worker to test positive for COVID-19 is a relative of Chatto’s staff member and was considered as a close contact. (with a report from R. Tutas)