Mt Prov mayors told: Monitor non-APOR

BONTOC, Mt. Province, May 4(PIA) -- Mayors of this province were urged to include in their respective monitoring the “fourth" group of non- authorized persons outside of residence (non-APOR)  with the province now under General Community Quarantine. 

In a meeting  among local chief executives with the Provincial COVID-19 Task Force, police provincial director   Homer M. Penecilla  said this is under under guidelines of  the  Inter-Agency Task. Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). This, he said, is often overlooked in the implementation of community quarantine rules. 

Paragraph 3, Section 02 - B of the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of the General Community Quarantine states:

"3. Any person below 21 years old, those who are 60 years old and above, those with immunodeficiency, co-morbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant women, including any person who resides with the aforementioned, shall be required to remain in their residences at all times, except when indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services or for work in permitted industries and offices."

Thus, all persons who fall between ages 21-59 but who live with those under groups 1 to 3 - any person 21 years old and below, 60 years old and above and those with immunodeficiency, co-morbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant women - are also NON-APOR,  he said.

Penecilla said the reason why these persons  are included as non-APOR even if they fall between ages 21-59 is that they could easily be " silent carriers" once exposed to infection but could still remain asymptomatic because they have higher resistance against diseases. Consequently, they  could  infect  the most vulnerable among the society which ultimately would have great impact on the country's limited health facilities. 

Penecilla told the body that under IATF Resolution No. 30, the list of NON-APOR are the same for the Enhanced Community Quarantine and the GCQ.

The Mt. Prov. COVID-19 Task Force  is adopting  unified guidelines for the GCQ implementation.(PIA/ Mt. Province PGO)