9 members of Jesuit Residence in Quezon City test positive for COVID-19

(Philstar.com), 31 Mar 2021

MANILA, Philippines— Several priests at the Jesuit Residence have tested positive for COVID-19, the Ateneo de Manila University said Wednesday, days after it announced that that the house was placed on lockdown.

“Nine members of the Jesuit Residence community tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus,” the Jesuit Community said in a message posted on Ateneo’s website.

The Jesuit Residence is in the Ateneo campus, where face-to-face classes have been suspended since last year.

“Strict protocols, which includes isolation and quarantine, are currently in place and being implemented at the residence. Contact tracing is also being done.”

The community did not name the residents infected and requested that their wish for privacy be respected.

“We continue to call on everyone to pray for the infected for their speedy recovery, for the safety of those living inside the university campus and to grant all of us the strength, courage, and perfect trust in the Lord to see these challenges through.”

In a March 26 memo, Fr. Primitivo Viray, provincial of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, announced that the Jesuit Residence was placed under lockdown after Fr. Emerito Salustiano “Salty” de la Rama, headmaster of the Ateneo Grade School was found to have been infected with COVID-19. The test results came after he had already passed.

As of this writing, the Philippines has recorded a total of 741,181 cases of COVID-19. Active infections are at an all-time high at 9,296 and the positivity rate as of March 30 breached 20%.

Metro Manila and nearby areas, or the NCR+ bubble, are under the strictest form of community quarantine until at least April 4, in an effort to contain the unprecedented spike in cases. Other areas in the rest of the country have been reverted to stricter quarantine classifications until the end of the month.

It has been 381 days since parts of the Philippines were first placed under lockdown.

— Bella Perez-Rubio