THE PUBLIC market here will be temporarily closed to give way to cleaning, decontamination, and disinfection after a meat vendor has died due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Municipal Health Office (MHO) confirmed.
In an Executive Order issued on Monday, Mayor Cezar Quiambao ordered the temporary closure and cessation of operations of the Bayambang public market and the "bagsakan" areas of fish and vegetables from Sept. 1 to 5, 2020.
"The operation of private groceries and supermarkets shall be continuous with strict implementation of physical distancing, wearing of face masks and face shields, thermal scanning, disinfection, and other safety measures in line with the minimum health standards," he said.
The mobile market has also been reactivated to provide the basic needs of the residents in every village of the municipality.
Quiambao advised all the public market vendors to observe strict home quarantine for seven days for the safety of the general public.
"Vendors at the public market are not allowed to participate in the mobilization of the mobile market. The mobile market vendors shall be given special permits for the purpose as long as they are not the same people selling at the public market," he added.
Quiambao has also instructed all vendors selling meat, fish, and vegetables and those at the canteen and food stalls in the public market to undergo rapid testing before they could go back to their normal operations.
He added the public market will be opened on a staggered schedule.
Persons who will be caught violating the guidelines of the order will be apprehended by law enforcers in the municipality under the ground of "disobedience or resistance to agents of persons in authority" and charges will also be filed.
MHO on Aug. 31 reported that a 58-year-old male meat vendor, resident of Barangay Darawey, was brought to a hospital on Aug. 27 because he was manifesting symptoms of Covid-19.
He was also hypertensive and diabetic.
He died on the same day but he was tested with the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital that yielded positive results. He was buried on Aug. 28.
All the identified individuals who may possibly have close contact with the patient will be scheduled for RT-PCR testing to determine if they also acquired the virus.
Meanwhile, among the reported confirmed Covid-19 cases of the MHO on Monday were a 28-year-old worker from Quezon City and a resident of Barangay Bical Norte, and a 31-year-old volunteer nurse who is a resident of Barangay Ambayat 1st.
The local government unit has urged the public to religiously abide by the minimum health protocols to combat the further spread of the virus in the town. (By Jerick James Pasiliao)
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