18 personnel of Cebu City hospital test positive for COVID-19

by Nestle Semilla, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 5 Jan 2020

CEBU CITY —- At least 18 personnel of a government hospital here tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), prompting the temporary closure of its Operating Room complex for decontamination.

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson of the Department of Health in Central Visayas, said six of those infected were medical doctors, while the rest were either nurses or assistants of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in (VSMMC) in Cebu City.

In an advisory, the VSMMC said the hospital’s Operating Rooms would be closed starting Jan. 5 until Jan. 7 to give way to “general cleaning and decontamination.”

“With this, all elective surgeries shall be temporarily suspended except for emergency surgeries that shall be accommodated by this medical center following prioritization of patients policy and implementation of strict infection prevention and control protocols,” the statement read.

Loreche said the infection of hospital staff started on Dec. 28 when a nurse went on duty at the Operating Room despite feeling sick.

The nurse assisted in the surgery procedure at the Operating Room.

Loreche said at least 13 of those infected were asymptomatic, while five exhibited mild symptoms.

All of them were confined in an isolation area within the hospital compound.

LZB