By Maria Katrina Segui
Actor Arjo Atayde and nine other film crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 during a lock-in taping in Baguio City.
In a statement sent to Manila Standard Entertainment by film outfit Feelmaking Productions Inc., it said that the 30-year-old actor was suffering from high fever, headaches, and difficulty in breathing due to a pre-existing medical condition and was immediately rushed to a hospital in Manila on Aug. 17. The nine others who were infected were asymptomatic and are currently staying in a quarantine facility in Baguio.
“We have likewise coordinated with the local officials for the necessary safety protocols,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the Atayde family has already reached out to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
“We assure him and the people of Baguio that we will comply with our commitments to the city. We are grateful for the opportunity to shoot in their beautiful city and apologize for whatever inconvenience that this unfortunate incident may have caused,” it said.
“Nakaramdam ng symptoms tulad ng sa nanay niya (Sylvia Sanchez), barado ang ilong at masakait ang katawan. But he’s in the hospital now,” the actor’s father Art Atayde shared in a message.
The statement was released after Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that Atayde and his team breached COVID-19 protocols.
According to the mayor, there were staff members who would leave the bubble, and monthly testing was not complied with.
“So, this is what happened. Ten out of the 100 of their crew members tested positive. It’s great that they chose to shoot here because they wanted to promote the city, but there were commitments they had to comply with,” he said.
The local government of Baguio ordered the lock-in taping’s postponement and shootings are currently prohibited in the city. The bubble has been in production for two months.