25 crew of 2GO Travel RoRo vessel in Batangas positive for COVID

The 25 crew of the RoRo vessel, which has a Batangas-Caticlan trip and is owned and operated by 2GO Travel, tested positive for COVID-19.

This was confirmed to ABS-CBN News by Batangas Port Manager Joselito Sinocruz.

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“Yung report po sa akin, kinonfirm nga ng 2GO, dalawa lang po yung lumabas yun po yung nag-confirm eh dun nalaman na may COVID, kaya yung remaining doon sa 80 inantigen muna lahat ng nag-positive sa antigen saka RT-PCR so naging 25 lahat ang nag-positive,” he said.

At the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force meeting Monday morning, Dra. Rosvilinda Ozaeta, Provincial Health Officer, detailed the events.

Ozaeta said that before the ship sailed to Caticlan on August 1, 2 crew members were sent down to Batangas City for treatment because they were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

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After that, the ship traveled to Caticlan and delivered passengers until it received information from Batangas that the 2 crew were positive for COVID-19.

On the night of August 3, the ship returned to Batangas with more than 70 passengers on board, after which it stopped the ship in Batangas Bay covered by Bauan.

On August 4, 2GO management requested an ambulance from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to pick up the 2 crew with symptoms of COVID-19 such as loss of appetite and sensation.

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25 crew of 2GO Travel RoRo vessel in Batangas positive for COVID

The next day they were taken to the hospital and later tested positive for COVID-19.

Since one was not accepted because the hospital was full, he was directed to the quarantine facility.

On August 6, a laboratory conducted an antigen test on all crew on the ship, and 15 of them tested positive for the virus.

On August 7, when everyone underwent the RT-PCR test, about 25 tested positive for COVID-19.

Governor Hermilando Mandanas admitted that he was concerned for the passengers, especially with the sick crew’s possibility of encountering him.

He instructed 2GO Travel to liaise closely with various agencies for immediate contact tracing.

Currently, according to the Batangas Port management, those who tested positive for the virus are inside the ship and are isolated. In contrast, the ship is docked in Batangas Bay which is covered by the town of Bauan.

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