NEGROS Occidental and the Bangsamoro Region will be placed under a general community quarantine (GCQ) effective May 1, government officials announced Wednesday.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson. Provincial Government of Negros Occidental PhotoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he would follow the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to place the province under GCQ instead of a week-long extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Lacson informed Negros Occidental mayors in a teleconference of what local government units (LGUs) should do once the ECQ would be downgraded to GCQ this Friday. He noted that those who are 60 years old and above as well as those who are 20 years old and below are still not allowed to go out. The checkpoints and border controls will continue at the LGU level, he added. Commercial establishments are allowed to operate but within a limited time frame, while malls will remain closed. Restaurants are open for delivery and take-out. “We are still waiting for the directive of the Department of Transportation with regard to the return of mass transportation under a GCQ,” he said. The GCQ implementing guidelines are being drawn as of press time. The Bacolod City Council has filed an appeal before the IATF-EID to exempt the city from the GCQ because of the pending results of suspected Covid-19 cases in the city.| “God forbid. But we see the danger of downgrading to GCQ then going back again to ECQ because our situation is still not stable to be under GCQ,” Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said. Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 will implement the GCQ in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) starting May 1. BARMM Cabinet Secretary and Bangsamoro IATF spokesman Mohd Asnin Pendatun on Wednesday said this was in accordance with the recently released guidelines of the IATF-EID, wherein low-risk and moderate-risk areas in the country shall be placed under GCQ. Pendatun said as of April 28, the Bangsamoro region was still classified under moderate-risk in terms of Covid-19 transmission as virus cases have not ballooned to unmanageable rates. Pendatun gave the assurance that the three island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi have not yet reported any coronavirus-confirmed cases. He said the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur are considered moderate-risk areas, as both have reported Covid-confirmed cases; while the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi remain Covid-free and are considered low-risk areas. ‘The new normal’ Meanwhile, with the implementation of GCQ in the country, Malacañang Palace announced on Monday that GCQ would be the “new normal” unless a vaccine for Covid-19 is ready. With this, BARMM shall also adopt the “new normal” through implementing GCQ guidelines, such as wearing of masks, restrictions for loitering, and presentation of valid identification cards for age verification.
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BACOLOD CITY: Uncooperative individuals are hampering the ongoing contact tracing of the city government, Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said on Monday.
Familiaran, who also chairs the city’s Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19 (IATF), said this non- cooperation is “a setback” as authorities are tracking down individuals who came into contact with the first coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive patient. The vice mayor said the individuals are not cooperating with either the barangay officials or the barangay health emergency response teams, saying they prefer to talk with the task IATF because their businesses would be affected. However, Familiaran told them that “human life is far more important than their revenues.” Based on information gathered by the city officials, “Patient 1” visited five places in the city which was already being disinfected. Meanwhile, Dr. Jane Juanico, head of the Infections Disease Cluster of the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DoH-6), said “Patient 1”, a 56-year-old man, is reported to be in an “improved health condition” and showing signs of recovery. Despite the improving health condition, Juanico said the patient is required to undergo another round of tests to determine if the virus is completely gone and he may be discharged. Based on the patient’s travel history, he recently visited the United Kingdom and arrived home on February 29. By Euegene Y. Adiong BACOLOD CITY: Uncooperative individuals are hampering the ongoing contact tracing of the city government, Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said on Monday.
Familiaran, who also chairs the city’s Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19 (IATF), said this non- cooperation is “a setback” as authorities are tracking down individuals who came into contact with the first coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive patient. The vice mayor said the individuals are not cooperating with either the barangay officials or the barangay health emergency response teams, saying they prefer to talk with the task IATF because their businesses would be affected. However, Familiaran told them that “human life is far more important than their revenues.” Based on information gathered by the city officials, “Patient 1” visited five places in the city which was already being disinfected. Meanwhile, Dr. Jane Juanico, head of the Infections Disease Cluster of the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DoH-6), said “Patient 1”, a 56-year-old man, is reported to be in an “improved health condition” and showing signs of recovery. Despite the improving health condition, Juanico said the patient is required to undergo another round of tests to determine if the virus is completely gone and he may be discharged. Based on the patient’s travel history, he recently visited the United Kingdom and arrived home on February 29. |
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