The two patients at the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital who died of respiratory failure initially tested negative for the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 while they were still alive but repeat tests were done following their deaths on Tuesday.

“Negative sa COVID man to kay gi swab to pag admit…pagkamatay, gi repeat swab to siya aron segurado gyud..Nagpaabot ta sa second swab,” said Dr. Yul Lopez, spokesperson of the Capitol’s inter-agency task force on new and emerging diseases.

According to Lopez, the results of the second swab tests are the ones being awaited from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMCC) in Cebu.

The clarification was made by Lopez after a report surfaced Wednesday indicating that both patients tested negative for COVID-19.

Lopez assured that stringent protocols were observed in handling the remains of both patients while those in contact with them were ordered to undergo home quarantine.

“Bisan pa og negative, gipalubong nato within 12 hours. Gisulod og sealed casket. Wala nay vigil. Ang tanang contact niya gipa home quarantine og gibantayan sa taga Health,” he said.

Bohol currently has zero active COVID-19 cases.

In January, a 60-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan City, the outbreak’s epicenter, tested positive for COVID-19 a week after she was discharged from a hospital in Tagbilaran City. Her first test yielded a negative result prompting local health authorities to allow her discharge.

She had already left the country after the Department of Health confirmed on February 5 that she was infected making her the country’s third COVID-19 case.

Health authorities had earlier assured that thorough contact tracing was done by local health authorities and the Department of Health to determine if any of those who were in contact with the woman while in Bohol were infected.

Over 10 of those in contact with the patient including hospital staff were quarantined for 14 days and were considered as patients under investigation after they showed flu-like symptoms, but they all turned out negative for the disease. (RT)