Derby goers from Agusan Sur complete quarantine but no swab tested

By Sitti Sheiba NY-Casan

VALENCIA CITY: At least 20 residents of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, who went to the six-cock derby at the New Davao Matina Gallera in Davao City last month, have completed a 28-day quarantine but none of them had undergone laboratory testing.

Dr. Eddie Cabanban, San Francisco municipal health officer, said he asked them to go on a 28-day quarantine but no swab samples for laboratory testing were taken from them since there are no available testing kits at the Rural Health Unit or even at the Provincial Health Office.

The cockpit derby that attracted thousands of cockfighters, breeders, and handlers to vie for the 26-million peso prize pot, 17-million of that for the champion, became the epicenter of COVID-19 cases not only in Mindanao as several confirmed cases had been traced to the Matina Gallera cluster.

Caraga’s second confirmed COVID-19 case, a  65-year old male from Butuan City who had no pre-existing medical condition and no history of travel but had close contact with his son and his driver who went to the Davao derby.

Cabanban said barangay health workers visited the houses of at least 20 residents who went to the Davao derby when the news broke out early this month on the rising COVID-19 deaths that were traced to those who attended the derby. He said he immediately had them placed under home quarantine.

He said COVID-19 testing kits which are available at the Department of Health  Center For Health Development in Caraga Region are limited and priority are for probable COVID-19 cases.

Since no laboratory tests were done on those who went to the Davao derby, Cabanban said all of them were considered asymptomatic patients during the quarantine period but suspected of being COVID-19 carriers.

“If they are asymptomatic, we can no longer do anything about it since they did not show any symptoms,” Cabanban told MindaNews.

Cabanban, however, assured that the Barangay Health Workers are monitoring on them to check if they will manifest COVID-19 signs and symptoms even as they are already cleared by the Rural Health Unit.

Cabanban said to appease the worry of many residents of this town, he appealed to those who went to the derby – many of them businessmen and professionals — to submit themselves for a COVID-19 laboratory test at their own expense. (RSP)