BAGUIO CITY, March 20 – The local government is not inclined to escalate the prevailing enhanced community quarantine in the city despite the high probability of having a number of confirmed Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) cases in the coming days.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said that there are 4 highly probable COVID-19 cases in the city that are still awaiting confirmatory test results from the Manila-based Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).
He added that the highly probable COVID-19 cases in the city include an employee of a concerned government agency who recently died but her test results have yet to arrive from the RITM.
Once there will be confirm COVID-19 cases in the city, the local chief executive pointed out that what will be done is to further restrict the movement of residents as one of the identified precautionary measures to prevent the further spread of the deadly virus and control the possibility of a sudden surge in the cases.
“What we need now is utmost understanding and cooperation from our constituents because we are on the process of adjusting to the situation and perfecting the system. We have to make the necessary adjustments because we understand the predicament of our residents who are heavily impacted by the restrictions that are currently being imposed,” Mayor Magalong stressed.
He explained that by merely staying in their homes, people are helping in the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly virus and that they are also saving lives in such case.
According to him, the local government is awaiting the latest pronouncement of the health department on the status of the confirmatory test results of the 4 highly probable COVID-19 cases in the city but what is important for health authorities should already conduct the necessary contact tracing of the possible close contacts of the said individuals for eventual 14-day quarantine, isolation among others.
He underscored the importance of having trained investigators to cull out the needed information from the confirmed COVID-19 cases through the contact tracing process for the adoption of whatever necessary measures that will be undertaken to get in touch with the close contacts of the potential COVID-19 cases for them to undergo the required quarantine and isolation once they show symptoms of the deadly virus.
He admitted that the local government is not ready to provide the daily subsistence of all the residents in the city’s 128 barangays that is why it will be unlikely to escalate the prevailing enhanced community quarantine and why the available food packs being readied will be given to the poorest of the poor in the city for them to be able to survive the present situation that the country is encountering.
He expressed his gratitude to the city’s barangay officials for their commitment in trying to attend to the concerns of their constituents in dealing with the enhanced community quarantine that will be in effect until April 15, 2020.
By Dexter A. See