CITY
HALL BEAT
Aileen
P. Refuerzo
BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor
Benjamin Magalong reminded Baguio residents experiencing symptoms of Covid-19
to observe precautionary measures to avoid passing on the virus to family
members and friends.
As“If we are
experiencing the known symptoms of Covid, like colds, fever, itchy or painful
throat, diarrhea, loss of smell and/or taste, we must be responsible enough to
protect our family, friends, workmates and others around us from getting
infected,” he said.
He said a
symptomatic person must immediately quarantine himself by staying in a separate
room or space and observing the basic preventive measures like wearing face
masks, observing personal hygiene, disinfection, physical distancing and
ensuring proper ventilation.
“Avoid eating
with family members and sharing utensils,” he advised.
If going out
of residence cannot be helped, then one must avoid crowd, wear mask and shield,
observe physical distancing, avoid confined spaces and close contact conversations.
At the first
signs and symptoms, call or see a doctor, avail of telemedicine services or
seek assistance at district health centers through the following hotlines:
Asin
district health center -- 620-4798; Atab – 420-9087; Atok Trail – 620-5395; Scout
Barrio – 442-4512; Aurora Hill – 665-7772; Campo Filipino – 442-0031; City Camp
– 665-2902; Engineers’ Hill – 442-0100; Irisan – 442-0102; Loakan – 665-8761;
Lucban – 300-6065; Mines View – 665-8702; Pacdal – 665-8104; Pinsao – 665-7806;
Quezon Hill – 620-5469; and Quirino – 620-5338 or through the COVID-19
hotllines: City Health Services -- 09167974397, 09184880195; City Disaster Risk
Reduction Management Office – 442-1900-05, 09063702290, 09184880195.
***
Mayor
Magalong sought an inventory and restocking of medical supplies in the city in
preparation for the more severe and more contagious variants of Covid-19
particularly the Delta and Lambda variants.
The mayor
said ensuring that the city will have enough reserve of medical apparatus
including the crucial oxygen and oxygen tanks and medicines in its hospitals is
part of proactive measures in case hospitalization increases because of the
more severe and more transmissible nature of the new variants.
“We watched
how people desperately lined up for oxygen in India and other countries.
We must not wait for it to happen in our city. We have to learn from
their experiences and we have to act for us to save lives,” the mayor said.
The mayor
said he had advised the medical community to stock up on these necessities
ahead of time.
In the recent
management committee (ManCom) meeting, he instructed the City Health Services
Office to do an inventory of available supplies not only in hospitals but also
in the private sector.
He issued an
appeal to private groups and individuals who own oxygen tanks and oxygenerators
and who are willing to lend these to the city government should the situation
to enlist their equipment with the CHSO.
He also urged
the CHSO to work out the procurement of oxygenerators and to establish linkage
with suppliers where the city can immediately procure such medical needs when
needed.
“We have to
have a sense of urgency in these crucial times,” he stressed.
While there
was still no Delta or Lambda variants detected in the country, the mayor
refused to rest easy pointing out the limited capability of the country in
processing specimens coupled with the lack of reagents and ancillary supplies.
The city
mapped out strategies against the new variants including setting up more
isolation facilities and beds in anticipation of increased hospitalizations due
to the new variant’s propensity to cause more severe symptoms; expediting
vaccination, intensifying compliance to the minimum public health standards,
among others.
***
Despite the
lag in vaccine supply, Baguio City continues to beef up its vaccination
capability to be prepared to expedite the program once vaccine supply and
production issues got resolved.
Mayor
Magalong said the city aims to expand its vaccination schedule, put up more sites
to reach as many target population, assign and train more personnel to man
these sites and to further streamline the process to cut down the vaccination
time.
He said the
city will increase its vaccination target from 70 percent to 95 percent to
really establish herd immunity.
As of now,
the City Health Services Office (CHSO) also upgraded the target from 70 percent
to 85 percent pegging the total target population now at 238,776 individuals
from the previous 196,639.
This is
computed from the city’s estimated total population of 374,550 less persons
below 18 years old at 25 percent.
Assistant
City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes to the Management Committee
(ManCom) last July 13 that vaccination schedule had been expanded to cover all
days of the week at the five mega sites at the St. Louis University, University
of Baguio, St. Louis School Inc. at St. Vincent, SM City Baguio and the Baguio
Country Club.
She said more
vaccination sites will be set up in the coming days including district and satellite
ones to reach as many target population.
To prepare
for this, the City Health Services Office headed by Dr. Rowena Galpo had been
training volunteers from both the government and the private sector to man the
sites.
Brillantes
said they also continue to review and readjust the vaccination process to
further speed up the procedures and increase vaccination coverage.
The mayor
earlier ordered the ramping up of the city’s vaccination rate to counter the
anticipated surges in Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases due to increased
mobility, reopening to tourists and the threat of the more harmful variants but
the lack of vaccines had snagged said plans prompting the mayor to appeal for
more patience from residents raring to be vaccinated.
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