THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Friday the woman who skipped the mandatory quarantine in a Makati hotel may have infected “about 15” people with COVID-19.
In an interview on Teleradyo, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed that a certain Gwyneth Chua, a traveler from the US, went out of her hotel while under mandatory quarantine and had dinner in a restaurant.
She had a swab taken Dec. 26, Año said, a “clear” indication that Chua violated protocols. She later tested positive for COVID-19.
“Yung problema, yung mga nakasama niya sa dinner and sa bar, ay mga nagpa-positive na rin… Ang sabi lang about 15 yung nagpa-positive. We need to confirm that,” said Año.
“Kung omicron case ‘to, huwag naman sana. Kasi ang bilis talaga kung omicron… Magpa-test na lang,” he said later on.
It is not immediately clear if these were the people she was within the dinner or the party. More people, however, are coming out with information on the matter, Año said.
The investigation is still ongoing but CCTV footage confirmed that the woman got out of the quarantine facility, he added.
“Ang mga ka-party niya, marami na ring nag-positive noon. Marami na ring may symptoms doon. We still don’t know if it is omicron because hindi pa, wala pang result yung genome sequencing niya,” he explained.
Authorities have visited the establishments Chua went to and their personnel have been interviewed, Año said.
“Very cooperative naman sila, pinakita na rin nila yung CCTV footage sa ating CIDG investigators.”
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