No Covid-19 cases in Sagada, EO opens tourism sites

By Gina Dizon  

                                                     

SAGADA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE – There are no persons under investigation (PUI) nor persons under monitoring(PUM) of the dreaded corona virus, nCov or Covid-19 identified here in this tourist town from either tourist or local resident.

As per records from the nCov lane of the municipal health unit and the tourist information center, no one from the 4,722 tourists- both domestic and  foreign- who visited this town since February 5 registered any symptoms of corona virus based from the monitoring tool of the department of health (DOH).

This, as  Municipal Mayor James Pooten Jr issued Executive Order 10-2020 amending EO 7-2020 suspending eco-tourism activities. With the new EO allow eco-tourism activities except for all cave spelunking and sunrise viewing following a meeting of the Task Force CoVid19 Sagada composed of tourism stakeholders and representatives from concerned government agencies this recent Friday.  

With the new developments, said meeting emphasized prevention measures of the spread of the dreaded corona virus for the public to follow safety protocols on covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing, washing hands frequently, eating nutritious food and refrain from going to crowd drawing events.

In preventing the spread of the virus, the DOH employs a decision tool categorizing PUIs as those who have travel history from Wuhan, China 14 days prior to symptoms; exhibit coughs, have  difficulty in breathing, with high fever and history of exposure with  close contact with confirmed case of nCov infection,  been in a health care facility where the virus has been reported and has direct contact with animals in country where nCov was reported. The PUI is then quarantined in a hospital and swabbed and the specimen sent to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).  

A PUM is also noted as one who shows symptoms of coughs and high fever with no travel history from Wuhan, China nor entered any health facility having admitted nCov confirmed patients; and advised to go on home- quarantine for 14 days, monitor body temperature and observe any signs of respiratory infection.

In an interview, Municipal health physician Dr Geovy Rose W. Aborque added  no one was declared a PUI nor a PUM among the locals in this tourist town. Aborque added some 15 local persons a day consulted the clinic for coughs and colds for fears of contacting the corona virus.   

It was also noted that no incidents of PUIs among tourists were reported by inns and homestays to the health clinic nor to St Theodores’ Hospital. 

Records from DOH-Cordillera showed 24 PUIs were admitted in hospitals as of February 16 with 4 quarantined in Abra, 5 in Baguio City, 1 in Kalinga and 2 in Mt Province totaling to 14 PUI cases in the region. Two were discharged from hospitals in Abra, 5 in Baguio City, 2 in Benguet and 1 in Mt Province  with zero PUIs or PUMs in Ifugao totaling to 10 discharged PUI cases in the region.   

From same  DOH-Cordillera records showed 66 PUM cases as of February 16  with 26 in Abra , 6 in Baguio, 3 in Benguet, 3 in Kalinga and 2 in Mt Province totaling to 40  PUI cases. Of the 66 PUM cases, 26 completed the 14-day quarantine.

Aborque said there is no vaccine yet for one hit with corona virus now called Covid-19 and could get fatal leading to death for one positively confirmed with Covid-19.   

The newly identified coronavirus CoVid-19 has created more alarm with many unknowns surrounding it, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases, reports say.

The very recent EO 10-2020 issued by Pooten last February 21,2020 partially allowed eco-tourism activities  within the municipality of Sagada and amended  EO 07-2020 suspending ecotourism activities issued February 13. Both EOs do not ban tourists from entering Sagada. 

Popular eco-tourism sites visited in this town are Pongas waterfalls, Bomod-ok waterfalls, Sumaguing cave, Lumyang cave, Marlboro Hills and Echo Valley  hanging coffins. Suspended activities avoid body contact where tourists have to be physically aided by guides in visiting these sites and avoids congestion. The cave could accommodate a number to as high a carrying capacity of 300 persons per two hours and Marlboro Hills to as many as 800 persons.

The latest EO 10-2020 still suspended caving activities but allowed only the entrance to the cave (Sumaguing Cave) much as  caving employs body contact while guiding  tourists, temperature is cold inside the cave and congestion is inevitable.

The recent Friday meeting forwarded that visiting Sumaguing cave entrance only allows 25 visitors  at 20 minutes duration.  

Aborque and DOH regional representative Clint Ildefonso recommended lessening the usual carrying capacities  of tourist sites, and  that elderly and children which need physical assistance  are discouraged from not joining tourism activities to these partially opened or limited sites.          

The Covid -19 task force meeting forwarded that Marlboro sunrise watching is still suspended due to cold temperature at dawn  and thus allows treks starting by 7 o’clock in the morning with the latest EO providing hiking only for said site when temperature gets warmer as the virus  thrives in cold temperatures.

Other sites opened with lessened carrying capacities at strict intervals to avoid congestion are Bokong Falls and Echo Valley at the central part of town,  Langsayan hills  at the northern part open for trekking, Bomod-ok Falls in northern area and Pongas Falls at the southern part of town.    

Suspension of eco -tourism activities gathered common remarks among locals that said popular sites shall also ‘rest’ and rejuvenate for a while.

A week earlier when EO 7-2020 was issued noted that tourists can still come to Sagada though with limited activities as visiting sites along the road as the Sugong  hanging coffins seen from the road side, rice  terraces of Kapay-aw seen from the roadside,  pottery  in Danonoy, sunset seen from a commercial viewdeck atop Danum Lake, and Masferre’s photographs. 

Regional Dept of Tourism  (DOT) Director Jovy Ganongan in an interview encourage the visiting of tourist sites where these are not conjestion-prone and  adherence following DOH safety protocols.    

The outbreak of the corona virus from Wuhan, China led to countries accordingly screen and quarantine passengers who come from China. Travel ban was issued by Philippines to countries China, Macau, Hongkong and Taiwan with the latter lifted of its travel ban.

There are 51,857 positively confirmed cases of corona virus with a dominant number from China with 1,669 persons who died in China.

In the Philippines, there are 3 confirmed cases of CoVid-19 being Chinese nationals from Wuhan City with  2 in stable conditions and 1 death as of February 13,2020.

                The six- year old boy from Cebu who came from Wuhan, China was eventually tested negative of the virus, reports say.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared corona virus an international public health  emergency and so with  the Philippines’ health department having declared corona virus a public health emergency.  

Said EO 10-2020  noted that a recent February 18 joint statement of the DOH, the department of interior and local government (DILG), DOT now assures that everyone is safe to organize and attend public gatherings, meetings and festivals  as long as all precautionary measures by DOH are strictly observed.