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The Philippines has imposed stricter movement restrictions on President Duterte’s hometown of Davao after it recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases in the past two weeks.
Davao City, in the southern Philippines, will be placed under a general community quarantine until the end of November, where some businesses such as hotels and cinemas will be closed, and the young and old must stay at home, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque. “Efforts will be made to address the shortage of nurses in health facilities,” he added.
Amid the increase in new Covid-19 cases in the city of Davao, the Inter-Institutional Task Force (IATF) decided to impose stricter quarantine measures in the area.
In its Resolution 88 issued last Thursday, the IATF said it assigned Melquiades Feliciano, deputy director of implementation of the National Working Group against Covid-19 for the cities of Bacolod and Cebu, to lead the intensified measures against Covid in the city. of Davao.
Among the issues it would have to address is the shortage of nurses who increase the supply of medical supplies for patients with Covid-19 such as high-oxygen cannulas, favipiravir (Avigan), remdesivir, medical equipment, among others, in the city.
The decision was made after Covid-19 cases in the city rose to 5,412 on Wednesday from just 3,859 two days earlier.
The increase also prompted the IATF to push for the creation of the One Hospital Command Center in the city, which will be in charge of the efficient distribution of Covid-19 patients there.
It also ordered private hospitals in the city of Davao to increase their allocation of beds for Covid-19 patients from 20 to 30 percent.
To contain the spread of Covid-19 in the city of Davao, its law enforcement agencies were ordered to assist in the strict implementation of granular shutdowns.
Apart from Davao City, other areas, which were placed by IATF under GCQ until November 30, were Metro Manila, Batangas City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Tacloban City, Iligan City and Lanao Del Sur.
The Philippines has the second worst outbreak in Southeast Asia, with more than 413,000 cases as of Thursday.
Bloomberg News and Samuel P. Medenilla
