FEELMAKING Productions Inc. has announced on Wednesday that Star Magic actor Arjo Atayde tested positive for COVID-19 while shooting his new film “Hey Joe” in Baguio last August 16.
According to an official statement released on Facebook, Atayde, who has a pre-existing medical condition. was “suffering from high fever, headaches, and difficulty in breathing,” which prompted a mutual decision between the company, the actor’s parents, and doctors to immediately send him to a hospital in Manila the next day.
The film outfit also said that assistance for the other nine crews who were asymptomatic and undergoing quarantine have been provided and that they have coordinated with local officials to ensure safety measures.
“The Atayde family has reached out to Mayor Benjamin Magalong and 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,” the statement read.
Following the incident, Magalong ordered further investigation to determine probable breach of health protocols among the filming staff and actors.
According to the Baguio Public Information Office, the whole crew was authorized to conduct its filming since last month, provided that they will be staying in a bubble, an agreement that means no one is allowed to go in and out of the premises during the shooting duration.
“However, we found out that there were instances where crew members go home and come back to the city without passing through our triage so they are not tested,” Magalong stated.
“For some reason, Mr. Atayde left his group yesterday (Monday) without informing us although I’m trying to reach out to him to instruct him on what to do with his group left in the city,” he added.
Soon after, the city mayor declared that Baguio will ban all film productions in the city for the meantime.
“I know their intentions are good. They want to promote the city. But they have commitments they need to deliver,” Magalong said.
The city’s chief executive lastly emphasized that Atayde’s sudden exit to be rushed for medical aid was a risky approach as they were not informed, which might infect others along the way.