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.
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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. BACOLOD CITY – The city government here is requesting the postponement of the scheduled arrival of a group of Japanese employers planning to hire workers from Negros Occidental as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chair of the city inter-agency task force against Covid-19, said the body passed a resolution during its meeting on Monday, recommending to Mayor Evelio Leonardia that the delegation be asked to move their visit to a later date. The group includes 87 persons who will land at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City and proceed to neighboring Murcia town but will have accommodations in Bacolod City. They are expected to arrive on Thursday, March 12. As of Tuesday afternoon, Familiaran said the task force is still waiting for the mayor’s final decision regarding their recommendation. Although Leonardia already said he supports such a move to ensure the welfare of the people of Bacolod. “I totally agree that we should ask these Japanese courteously and very diplomatically to postpone their visit. We welcome them, we wish there were more of them with the same purpose – to give jobs to our people which we really need,” Leonardia told a press conference on Monday afternoon. However, under the present circumstances, the health and safety of Bacolodnons should come first, he added. “That must be paramount to anything – economic or otherwise. The key is to use the right words to be able to explain and I believe that they would understand considering that this is not an isolated case,” the mayor said. Leonardia added that he will ask Familiaran to relay the message to the Japanese delegation as soon as possible. He also said the city government needs the cooperation of hotels not to take in the guests from Japan, in case they will push through with their trip to the Philippines and arrive in Bacolod. “I believe that our hotels, even if this is a matter of business, will readily understand us. These are abnormal times so we should also act abnormally, in that sense,” he said. Leonardia added that since Bacolod will have no control if the group lands in Silay and proceed to Murcia, he will just have to ask the foreign guests not to step down from their vehicles when they pass by Bacolod. “This is the protocol we have resort to, to minimize the possibility that something will happen here,” he said. b As of Monday, there are 23 patients under monitoring (PUMs) in Bacolod, three more than the initial 20, who are still in home quarantine since last week. Love is in the air in Bacolod City.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran got the help of a local brand, Portia’s Store, to distribute cakes to couples who just got married in the city hall’s Kasalan ng Bayan. It was a sweet treat for the over 200 pairs who exchanged “I Do’s” and got their happily ever afters. All patients under investigation (PUIs) for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Bacolod City have been discharged. This was confirmed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, who chairs the city’s inter-agency task force vs COVID-19. “Let us praise and thank the Lord that all PUIs were negative for the virus, but it’s not over till it’s over. So let’s continue to be vigilant,” said Familiaran. There are no PUIs admitted at the Emerging Infectious Diseases facility, according to him. (https://bit.ly/3bAQihq) Three of them were discharged last Monday while the first of the four isolated in the Department of Health (DOH)-run hospital was released last week after testing negative for the virus. The four were among the eight PUIs confined in tertiary hospitals in the city in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Medical Center chief Dr. Julius Drilon said those admitted at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital were “discharged in stable condition and with no complications during the course of confinement.” The number of patients under investigation (PUIs) for suspected coronavirus infection in Negros Occidental has increased to three, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said.
The patients include a 43-year-old Canadian national; a 12-year-old Filipino boy who traveled previously from Macau and Hong Kong; and a 58-year-old Filipina overseas worker who also recently arrived from Hong Kong. They are currently on quarantine at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital. (https://bit.ly/2RY6d1x) The Bacolod City Health Office, meanwhile, urged the public to disclose travel information and report to health authorities if they have signs and symptoms associated with the virus. Familiaran said he hopes the number of PUIs for nCoV will no longer climb. Due to the increasing threat from the coronavirus outbreak, Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued an executive order (EO), creating an inter-agency task force against the deadly virus.
“There is an urgent need to create a task force dedicated to properly address this rapidly emerging health threat,” said Leonardia. The mayor also met with officials of the 61 barangays at the MassKara Hall of the New Government Center to discuss the city’s actions regarding the entry of coronavirus into the Philippines. As of Friday, a total of 9,720 persons in China have been infected with the virus, and 213 have died. A total of 80 Chinese nationals have tested positive for the virus outside China, including one in the Philippines. The EO designated Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as task force chairperson, with Councilor Cindy Rojas, chair of the City Council committee on health, and Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, city health officer, as vice chairpersons. The task force is directed to create a standard protocol in dealing with the threat and coordinate with the national and local crisis management committees in addressing the epidemic. “Assess and ensure the preparedness of the city’s public and private hospitals to handle a positive case and to immediately set up isolation measures,” said Leonardia. He also directed the 61 villages, public and private schools, and all business establishments to prepare education and information dissemination campaigns on how to prevent the spread of the virus. The task force members include Councilors Dindo Ramos and Lady Gles Pallen, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay. They are joined by the heads and representatives of the Bacolod City Police Office, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Bureau of Quarantine, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, Bureau of Immigration, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Land Transportation Office, and Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental. Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran has appealed to the public not to spread false information about the alleged existence of the novel coronavirus in Bacolod City.
This, he said, will only create panic among the people. “We should check and double-check with reliable health authorities if indeed the information is correct,” said Familiaran following reports that a foreign national is confined in a private hospital in the city and that the public is being advised to wear protective masks. The vice mayor said people should verify whatever information they received on social media. (https://bit.ly/2OedoQX) The City Health Office (CHO) under City Health Officer Dr. Carmela Gensoli issues medical updates on the virus, according to him. The CHO monitors possible cases of coronavirus while the Bureau of Quarantine monitors seaports and airports of visitors who may be infected, he added. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the City Health Office is closely monitoring various ports and transport terminals in Bacolod City amid the threat of the novel coronavirus from China.
Close attention is particularly being placed on Bacolod-Silay Airport, said Familiaran. “I’ve received information that, on some flights, it was noted the 50 percent of passengers are wearing masks, which is good prevention,” he added. (https://bit.ly/319SdFc) The vice mayor, meanwhile, said the public should not believe unconfirmed information on social media except advisories coming directly from the Department of Health. He likewise appealed for sick individuals to seek immediate medical attention and advised everyone to practice proper hygiene as a preventive measure against the virus. An ordinance extending the deadline of the 2020 Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS) from January 20 to February 29 at the Bacolod City Government Center was unanimously approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod during a special session Friday, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said.
Familiaran said the extension was requested by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry through Mayor Evelio Leonardia. “This will give businessmen ample time to comply with all the required documents and surcharges of 25 percent will not be imposed on them,” he added. There will be no more extension after February 29. (https://bit.ly/2uXObU6) Several businesses were temporarily closed late last year for lack of business permits. “This will serve as a warning to other establishments that fail to comply,” Familiaran said. |
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