COVID-19 response mechanism rolls out

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Following the upgrading of the corona virus disease (COVID-19) alert level in the country to Code Red Sub-level 2 on March 12, Mayor Benjamin Magalong stepped up the city government’s preparations for the prevention and response to the public health emergency.

The mayor said that the city remained COVID-19-free as of March 13 contrary to unverified reports of positive cases in certain hospitals.

               He however said the possibility of the city registering positive cases in the coming days is not far-fetched.

The city has set up hotline number 09422692649 or 665-2757 for residents to call if they suspect they have developed signs and symptoms of the virus like acute respiratory and influenza-like illness.  These persons are also directed to go straight to the nearest district health center or medical facility like the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center which set up a “triage” area in its garden to cater to these patients.

                The mayor convened concerned city government offices March 13 to fast track actions on the preventive and response measures.

To augment health facilities catering to COVID patients, the city will set up a containment center exclusively for persons under investigation (PUIs) who have mild symptoms in collaboration with the various hospitals and the Dept. of Health Center of Health and Development Cordillera.

It will be located at the PFVR gym and will be manned by doctors and medical staff from the different hospitals and will be under the command of BGHMC Medical Chief Dr. Ricardo Runez. 

City Health Officer Rowena Galpo said the DOH-CHD-Car under officer-in-charge regional director Amelita Pangilinan will issue the operational guidelines for the center.

The mayor directed concerned city offices including the General Services Office, City Accounting Office and others to expedite the procurement of the equipment of materials and the deployment of the manpower for the center particularly to tackle the housekeeping, maintenance and waste disposal requirements of the facility. 

The mayor also ordered the massive and intensive disinfection of government offices including schools and the city public market immediately.  He issued a similar order to private business establishments and the transport service sector.

Dr. Galpo said the DOH recommends the sanitizing of areas and facilities frequently touched or used be done at least once a day with the use of bleaching products and water with a mixture ratio of 1:100.

Market Superintendent Fernando Ragma said they will undertake the disinfection of the roads, alleys and stalls immediately.

He reported that the arrival of goods remained unchanged at the city even if there was a stark decrease in the number of market goers.

City Hall disinfection will be undertaken during the weekend even as the mayor  urged the enhancement of measures in offices, the use of the thermal scanners and limiting entrances to just three.

Departments were also urged to adopt alternative work arrangements without disrupting services as per the Civil Service Commission order and the suspension of the conduct of the flag ceremonies and big crowd meetings.

He urged the public not to panic and to keep abreast with the COVID-19 updates only from reliable news sources.

The World Health Organization March 12 declared COVID-19 a global pandemic after cases continued to increase worldwide.

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 The response mechanism to cushion effects of Covid-19 on the vulnerable sector has been set in motion with the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development and the city’s barangay officialdom at the helm.

Mayor Magalong said the OCSWDO headed by Betty Fangasan prepared the system of distribution with the involvement of all the 129 barangays to reach out to the families affected by the health crisis.

Fangasan said they conduct Thursday second rationing of the food packs provided by the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its regional office under the response cluster plan set in place in line with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s declaration of State of Calamity for the whole country.

The first operation was done early this week targeting 20,000 vulnerable households out of the 92,000 total in the city.

Fangasan said they based the beneficiary allocation on the list of priority households identified by the barangays.

However, the list is not fixed as the barangays can add more households to the list as they see fit based on their continuing assessments.

The food packs contain P450 worth of basic commodities. 

Fangasan said the food supplementation will continue until their supplies last. As of now, their stockpile from the national government will be good for a month.

This will be augmented by the stocks from the city government and donations from the private sector. 

The city put in place a centralized system in the acceptance and disposition of donations to ensure a systematic set-up to be managed by the OCSWDO.

Donations (both perishable and non-perishable items) will be received at the drop-off point at the City Engineering Office Conference Hall, Motorpool , Lower Rock Quarry from Monday to Friday 8a.m. to 5 p.m.

The donations will be properly itemized and receipted by assigned CSWD personnel: Cynthia Langagan, Rebecca Dela Cruz and Helen Dayag.

The OCSWADO will also take charge of the distribution of the items equitably to

the vulnerable households.