96 LSIs return to Sulu, Tawi-Tawi from Maguindanao

On Monday, Aug. 3, 96 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) were sent back to Sulu and Tawi-Tawi by the Bangsamoro government.

Of these LSIs, 45 tested negative for COVID-19 while the remaining 51 had recovered from the illness after completing a 14-day quarantine in isolation facilities within BARMM.

The group of 96 LSIs departed from Polloc Port in Maguindanao on MV Lady Mary Joy-3 and were part of the last batch of 405 LSIs originally bound for Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi but re-routed to Cagayan de Oro City due to logistical issues.

The same day, an additional 95 LSIs from Maguindanao, comprising mainly residents from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, were scheduled to depart on an Allison ship for their respective destinations with expected arrival dates of Aug. 4 in Sulu and Aug. 5 in Tawi-Tawi.

All the LSIs had undergone swab tests at Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital (CSH) where 120 tested positive but were later cleared after recovery.