Pangasinan
has 32,000 PUMs, Pampanga in state of calamity
By
Eva Visperas, Aileen P. Refuerzo, Mar T. Supnad and Franco Regala
NORTH AND CENTRAL LUZON
provinces reported increase in persons under monitoring (PUMs) as Covid-19
cases increased nationwide.
In the
Cordillera, Dept. of Health regional director Amelita M. Pangilinan reported as
of March 18, there was still only one Covid-10 confirmed case in the Cordillera.
The
39-year-old male from Abra who was admitted in a hospital in Region 1 is now in
stable condition, she said.
Persons under
investigation for Covid-10 was pegged at 61 with 40 already discharged.
Twenty one
other PUIs admitted in health facilities were still awaiting laboratory
results.
Out of the
21, nine were from Baguio, seven from Benguet, two from Kalinga and one each in
Mountain Province, Abra and Apayao.
With this,
Pangilinan urged regional constituents to stay at home and isolate themselves.
“Those who
have flu or respiratory illness symptoms or history of travel with Covid-19
confirmed cases are advised to have themselves checked up,” she added.
In Lingayen,
Pangasinan, the Provincial Health Office reported a total of 32,358 persons
under monitoring (PUMs), but was quick to underscore that the province remained
free of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Of this
number, PHO reported that 534 PUMs have completed quarantine.
The PHO also
reported the province has total of 22 patients under investigation (PUIs) for
possible COVID-19 infection, 17 of them are still in the hospital while five
have already been discharged.
According to
Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) medical director Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia, there
were nine PUIs confined at R1MC.
Mejia has
called on the public to stay calm, and comply with enhanced home quarantine.
” Very good
immune system ang mahalaga. Social distancing, ang mga door knob dapat palaging
malinis,” Mejia noted.
Mejia said,
R1MC was prepared to accommodate patients who would be found positive for
COVID-19 infection.
He added that
R1MC has facilities and isolation rooms in case a patient wants to be admitted
instead of going to Manila.
In Baguio City, Mayor Benjamin Magalong March 17
amended executive order No. 65 series of 2020 (declaring the city under
citywide community quarantine) to adapt guidelines in enhanced community
quarantine (ECQ) status ordered by President Duterte over Luzon.
The Luzon ECQ
issued March 16 was pursuant to a memorandum issued by the Office of the
Executive Secretary with other guidelines set under Resolutions No. 11 and 12
of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Disease.
Under
the mayor’s new Executive Order No. 67 series of 2020, movement of all persons
in the City of Baguio will be restricted to their respective homes with the
following exceptions:
*to access
basic and essential necessities, food provisions and urgent medical needs only;
to work in emergency front services, border control and other critical services
to be done by as much as possible only one person from the household;
*persons
working in emergency frontline services, border control and other critical
services;
*those in the
Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire
Protection and the Naval Reserve Command and Army Reserve Command as they may
be called to assist;
* Personnel
deployed by the City Mayor’s Office and other persons as may be authorized;
*Persons who
have secured clearance certificates from the City Mayor’s Office; and
*Persons
working in the following establishments: those providing basic necessities and
such as activities related to food and medicine production i.e. public markets,
supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics,
pharmacies and drug stores, food preparation and delivery services,
water-refilling stations, hardware stores, laundry services, manufacturing and
processing plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer
services, power, energy, water and telecommunication supplies and facilities
and business process outsourcing establishments.
Only these
business establishments will be allowed to operate on regular hours while those
not in the list will not be allowed to operate at all.
Checkpoints
will be maintained and persons coming to the city must still pass through
temperature screening and submit Health Declaration Form.
The coding
scheme is lifted for vehicles used by medical personnel and those in health
services.
Mass
transport is suspended but some public utility vehicles may be tapped to serve
commuters for emergency purposes and when exigency of service and necessity of
the circumstances require to be coordinated with the barangay officials.
Curfew is 24
hours and applies to everyone so people should stay indoors at all times except
to access basic goods and medical necessities.
The curfew
for 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. is for persons working in establishments providing basic
necessities and such as activities related to food and medicine production i.e.
public markets, supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, medical
clinics, pharmacies and drug stores, food preparation and delivery services,
water-refilling stations, hardware stores, laundry services, manufacturing and
processing plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer
services, power, energy, water and telecommunication.
Other
features of the order are:
*There will
be heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures;
*Mass
gatherings are prohibited;
*Work from
home arrangement in the executive branch shall be implemented. Insofar as
the City Government of Baguio, those departments performing critical and
essential functions shall provide for a skeletal workforce. All other
departments shall utilize an on-call or work from home arrangement.
*The
suspension of classes in all levels for public and private school and other
institutions of learning, as stated in Executive Order No. 60, Series of 2020,
is extended until 14 April 2020, and shall resume on 15 April 2020 or until
assessment by the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force. Technical-Vocational
Institutions, ESL schools, review centers, and tutorial centers shall also be
covered hereby. School officials and administrators are encouraged to
formulate alternative methods of learning for their students;
*Mass public
transport is suspended, however, certain operators of public utility vehicles
may be tapped to serve commuters when the exigency of service and necessity of
circumstances require, as may be determined by the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task
Force;
*Cargo and
supply deliveries of medical supplies, basic goods, and grocery items to and
from the city shall not be hindered, subject to the observance of strict
sanitation methods and practices;
Those persons
who refuse to abide by the rules and guidelines of the Enhanced Community
Quarantine may be apprehended, and held liable for violation the provisions of
Republic Act No. 11332, otherwise, known as the “Law on Reporting Communicable
Diseases”, Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, among
other applicable laws;
Establishments
allowed to operate should ensure the adoption of a strict skeletal workforce to
support operations as well as strict social distancing measures and health
protocols.
Business
Process Outsourcing establishments and export-oriented industries shall remain
operational subject to the condition that strict social distancing measures are
observed, their respective personnel are provided appropriate temporary
accommodations by 18 March 2020 and that a skeletal work force shall be
implemented. These establishments may in the meantime, provide shuttle
services for their employees.
Media
personnel shall be allowed to travel within the quarantine area, provided that,
within seventy-two hours from effectivity of the Enhanced Community Quarantine,
media personnel intending to travel within the quarantine area shall secure a
Clearance Certificate from the City Mayor’s Office.
Meanwhile,
Ilocos Sur was placed under community quarantine starting March 15, which
included travel restrictions and other measures, to protect constituents from
Covid-19.
The
declaration was made during the inter-agency coordination meeting called by the
provincial government of Ilocos Sur on March 15 where it was decided there was
need to protect the province to prevent community transmission, minimize
movement of persons and abate spread of the COVID-19.
In attendance
were officials from the Department of Health, Interior and Local Government,
Education, Trade and Industry, Philippine National Police and all
municipal/city mayors of Ilocos Sur.
In Executive
Order No. 14 issued by Gov. Luis Ryan Singson, movement of people to and from
the province of Ilocos Sur was restricted until April 14.
Residents
will only be allowed to buy food and other necessities, and go to work if it's
within the province.
Going to work
in a neighboring province can be allowed, if the area is not hit by the virus,
the order said.
Non-residents
of Ilocos Sur can enter the province if they are not infected with the
coronavirus, and are not from an area affected by the disease.
They will
also need to undergo screening before entry.
Exempted
from these protocols are health workers, responders, police and military
personnel and other government authorities whose work station is in Ilocos Sur.
Travelers who
will be passing through the province may enter, provided that they subject themselves
to protocols, and no stop-over in the province will be made.
“No
transfer and/or referral of patient/s coming from the neighboring provinces to
any health facility in the province of Ilocos Sur shall be allowed during the
entire community quarantine,” the executive order read.
Check points
were also set up in all entry points of the province.
Public
transport within the province will continue to operate but drivers and
operators are required to observe transportation guidelines set by the
government for all public utility vehicles.
Delivery
personnel of goods and commodities shall undergo screening at checkpoints and
must present ID, latest health certificate from point of origin and other
documents that may be asked by quarantine officers.
Social gatherings
are prohibited and tourism activities are suspended.
Work-related
meetings may continue but social distancing will be practiced until the end of
the event.
Business
establishments in the province were directed to set up hygiene stations at their
entrance areas.
All
restaurants and other food establishments shall avoid food preparation on cold
buffet.
Take out and
food delivery were encouraged.
The
province also implemented curfew between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.
This does not
apply to those rendering emergency and security work.
To
date, Ilocos Sur remains Covid-19 free.
In Pampanga,
Gov. Dennis Pineda on Tuesday placed Pampanga under state of calamity amid the
public health threat of Covid-19.
This, after
the Pampanga Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Sangguniang
Panlalawigan’s endorsement to allow the province’s 21 towns to utilize portion
of their quick response funds and engage in emergency response to mitigate the
effects of Covid-19.
The law
states that local government units can have access to additional funds should
their jurisdiction be placed under a state of calamity.
On Monday,
the town of Porac was also placed under state of calamity after it reported its
first case of COVID-19 last week. The 33-year old male, also the first case in
the province, was a Grab driver who serviced the routes of Clark Freeport and
other towns in the province.
Pampanga’s
second recorded case was still confined, quarantined and being treated at Jose
B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital. He frequented a prayer hall in San Juan,
and was reportedly exposed to a previously confirmed case of COVID-19.
The third
case was reported by a private hospital in the City of San Fernando. His case
was reported on March 9, but he died two just two days later, when confirmation
of his being COVID-19 positive coming on March 13.
Pineda said
the provincial government conducted contact tracing of families, relatives,
friends and neighbors to monitor them for symptoms of the virus and ensure
immediate assistance to improve their health condition.
Read more...
