[ad_1]
The provincial government will not change its policies regarding the current coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. It will continue on the road to economic recovery.
“As regards the Province, we are making progress … We realize that Covid-19, like so many other diseases, will always be there. We cannot even dream of achieving zero (cases) of Covid-19, ”Governor Gwendolyn García said on Sunday, November 15, 2020.
The governor was reacting to Cebu City Edgardo Labella’s announcement on Saturday night, November 14, that the city government would strictly enforce the coding of the quarantine pass number and would re-implement border control after the recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the city.
Garcia said a return to strict quarantine protocols will only further harm an already devastated local economy.
He urged the Cebu city government to issue clear guidelines so as not to create confusion among residents of Cebu province who work in the city.
“I just hope they are very, very specific. What do they do with the workers coming from the province that the commercial establishments of Cebu City need? Are you allowing them to pass? Is there a procedure by which you will distinguish exactly who is allowed and who is not? ” she said.
The province has recently allowed tourists and residents to visit tourist spots as the entire province is under modified general community quarantine.
However, Garcia said that the Cebu city government has the right to protect its jurisdiction.
“If the City decides to institute that border control, well, I thank you for that kay (because) by doing so, you will actually save us from problems and by doing so you will protect the Province from, as the mayor said, the increase in the number of Covid cases. -19 in the city, ”he said.
As of Saturday, Cebu province had 51 new cases, or a total of 299 active cases. Of its 6,549 confirmed cases, a total of 5,853 had recovered with 397 deaths.
“So with the very high recovery rate that we have seen both in the province and in Cebu City, we believe that we should not go back to the very, very strict restrictions that severely damaged and devastated the economy,” Garcia said.
Starting Monday, November 16, Cebu City authorities will strictly enforce existing health protocols to prevent a further increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), clarified that there will be no closure and that the city’s borders will remain open. He said that what they will do is that the people who are on the street or inside the vehicles are authorized people outside the residence (Apor).
The police officer said that residents of other local government units in the metro and the rest of the province can still enter Cebu City if they have work here. However, they must present a certificate of employment and identification of their workplace to prove that they are Apor.
Visitors who do not work in Cebu City can also enter as long as they present a quarantine pass, Parilla said.
“The reason we are once again strictly enforcing quarantine protocols is because of the increase in Covid cases in the city. We have noticed that compliance and implementation have been somewhat lax in recent weeks, “said Parilla in Cebuano.
He said police officers will begin patrols alongside members of the Kasaligan Task Force to ensure members of the public meet minimum health standards, such as wearing masks and face shields, among others.
He said they will be on the lookout for any type of gathering at barangays, which is strictly prohibited while the pandemic is ongoing.
Parilla said that during contact tracing, they discovered that the majority of those who contracted the disease had attended parties and drinking sessions where the attendees did not observe social distancing and did not wear masks or face shields.
Parilla admitted that they don’t have enough police officers to patrol the city’s 80 barangays after members of the augmentation force that were deployed here at the beginning of the health crisis were sent home.
He has asked barangay officials to deploy tanods to patrol the interior parts of their neighborhoods and reprimand quarantine violators.
Parilla said it would be even better if the barangays once again set up checkpoints with tanods to monitor the movements of residents.
On Saturday, Cebu City recorded 59 new Covid-19 cases, the most cases recorded in a day since early November.
City Councilman Joel Garganera, deputy director of implementation for the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said 33 of the new patients are 25 years old or younger.
He said the city recorded an average of 12.35 cases a day between Nov. 1 and Nov. 14.
The EOC noted that more cases are recorded daily than recoveries.
Garganera also pointed to the increase in hospital admissions not related to Covid. That is why appropriate measures must be implemented immediately to prevent a resurgence of cases, he said.
However, the Department of Health (DOH) 7 said it was too early to say there would be a second wave.
According to DOH spokesperson for the Covid-19 response, Mary Jean Loreche, the increase in Covid-19 cases is a sign that “Covid-19 is still here with us and we have to fight together.”
Loreche believes that Cebu City has a better chance of controlling its current Covid-19 situation.
“We have a very active and proactive EOC, our healthcare facilities are better equipped, and we have the testing capabilities with all the labs out there,” he said.
According to DOH data, as of Sunday, Cebu City had a total of 10,648 Covid-19 cases with 9,494 recoveries, leaving 292 active cases. (ANV, AYB, JJL / KAL, PJB)
[ad_2]
