BACOLOD City – The Business Permits and Licensing Committee of this city inspected the health protocols being carried out by business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to stem the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the city Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19, said the inspection aims to ensure that establishments are compliant with health protocols issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). According to Familiaran, among the health measures inspected were the firms’ sanitation, ventilation and exhaust system. “This is to avoid any potential workplace hazard that could increase risks of COVID-19 transmission,” explained. In a related development, Mayor Evelio Leonardia asked the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 to deploy more nurses to hospitals here to reduce local cases. City Administrator Em Ang, who was tasked by the mayor to formalize the request through a letter, said Bacolod is requesting 288 more nurses. Ang, who also sits as executive director of the Emergency Operations Center, said chances are high that the mayor’s request for augmentation of nursing personnel will be granted since Major General Melquiades Feliciano, the deputy implementer of the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas, committed to endorsing the request. As of Thursday, Bacolod recorded 2,936 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,548 active cases, 1,352 recoveries, and 36 deaths./PN
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Is the face shield requirement just for Metro Manila?
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran is asking an important question on behalf of all Bacolod residents as they seek to clarify policy statements from the government. The politiko pointed out that the Department of Transportation announced a different protocol versus the Department of the Interior and Local Government. “Which is which? Mandatory use of face shield for all passengers in areas where public transportation is allowed (DOTr Memo) or in GCQ areas only (USec. Malaya’s statement)?,” the politiko said. Bacolod is under modified GCQ, so it’s a tricky situation among residents. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran (File photo) "WE NEED the cooperation of everybody to reduce the local transmission of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Bacolod City. Whatever quarantine status we have and if our people are not listening to us, it will be useless. We need self-discipline."
This was stressed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairperson of Bacolod City Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19, after Mayor Evelio Leonardia already issued Executive Order (EO) 57, placing the City of Bacolod under general community quarantine (GCQ) from September 1 to 30, 2020 after the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) pursuant to the pronouncement of the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NIATF-MEID). Familiaran said everybody should follow the health protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. He said the success and failure on the fight against Covid-19 do not depend on the city officials only, but on everybody. Leonardia, who signed EO 57 on Monday evening, August 31, said a televised announcement was made by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque that Bacolod City shall be among the areas that shall go under the GCQ from September 1 to 30, 2020 because of the spike in local transmission of Covid-19. As of last week of August 2020, Bacolod City ranked number one in the rise of Covid-19 cases in Western Visayas, with the possibility of more Covid-19 positives coming out from the recently-conducted mass testing under Executive Order 55, s. 2020, dated August 26, and the fact that hospitals and health care facilities for Covid-19 patients in the City are now filled up. "This is unfortunate but indispensable reversal from MGCQ to GCQ status is intended to slow down the rate of local transmissions and to serve as fundamental reminder to our citizens that both the National and City Governments are always concerned about the health of the people with unquestioned determination to prevail in the battle against this Covid-19 pandemic and, at the same time, to demand from the same people their sincere cooperation and clear community awareness and understanding that the gains brought about by the previous health discipline and protocols shall not be wasted in order that our people and the local economy shall survive despite the Covid-19 health crisis," he said. Section 5 of the EO states that public transportation shall be allowed on a limited capacity and shall be operated under a valid and unexpired franchise; an insurance coverage for the passengers and/or for a third party liability; roadworthy public utility vehicles (PUVs). The other mode of public transportation of commuters/passengers by air or sea shall be subject to the existing guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Inter-LGUs health and travel protocols on the basis of inter-zonal or intra-zonal transport of passengers and cargoes, including inter-island travel between Bacolod City and other LGUs within or outside of Western Visayas, shall remain in full force and effect subject to modifications that may hereafter be issued on the basis of practice and implementation of health and travel protocols. The City Government of Bacolod shall continue to provide essential government services for the duration of the GCQ. Thus, work in certain offices of the City Government specified below shall be in full operational capacity. Pursuant to DTI Memorandum Circular 20-44, Series of 2020, restaurants and fast food businesses can now offer dine-in services effective July 21, 2020 at 50 percent space capacity in areas under GCQ. Until further advice, the three major public markets -- the Central Market, Burgos North Market, and the Libertad South Market -- shall be closed on Sundays for cleaning and sanitation in observance of health protocols and public safety. In reference to the policies of the National IATF in the previous GCQ and as adopted by the predecessor EOs on GCQ and further adopted in this EO, mass gatherings are prohibited, such as, but not limited to movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities heretofore mentioned, community assemblies, fiesta celebrations, parades, rallies, public marches, non-essential work gatherings, or any other form of public or private gatherings endangering public health or health of the participants, etc. To allow workers and employees enough time to commute home after work without having to crowd public transport terminals and city streets to pick-up their rides home that would violate social distancing rules, the daily curfew to be observed by the general public from September 1-15, 2020 shall be adjusted to start from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Curfew beyond September 15, 2020 shall be subject to evaluation and adjustment as circumstances may warrant. The ban on the selling of liquor, wine, beer, or any alcoholic or intoxicating beverage is hereby partially lifted and shall be allowed from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. only, subject to the strict observance of social distancing and other mandatory health protocols. The PNP of Bacolod City and component force multipliers shall resume and reactivate check-up points within the City and along the City's borders starting September 3 to 15, 2020, coupled with enhancement of police visibility under the same public duty of enforcing health protocols, public security and safety, and the maintenance of peace and order in the strategic areas it deemed effective for law enforcement. Maintenance of check-up points beyond September 15, 2020 shall be subject to evaluation and adjustment as circumstances may warrant, the EO further stated. |
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