COVID: Stricter health protocols imposed in Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY’s Covid-19 task force continues to implement stricter quarantine measures and health protocols even as the number of infections are low compared to other areas in the country.

The task force, headed by Mayor Beng Climaco, has managed to effectively control the spread of the deadly respiratory disease and is preparing for mass vaccination this year. 

At present, Zamboanga only has a little over 120 active Covid cases, according to Climaco, who quoted a report from City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite. 

In her report, Miravite said: “A decreasing trend has been noted in Covid cases for the month of January, but strict surveillance and monitoring continues.” 

Climaco said the improved situation was largely due to various health measures the local government imposed since last year. “We created our local inter-agency task force and created a framework for our response that covers four major task groups - entry point quarantine, contact tracing, treatment and containment including risk communications.” 

“We immediately identified, established and equipped our treatment facilities at the Zamboanga City Medical Center for moderate to severe cases and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Lantaka Campus for those with mild symptoms with a total capacity of 60 beds,” she said. 

The mayor said the local government also constructed quarantine and isolation facilities – the 4 Ligtas Covid Center Community Isolation Facility Building at the sprawling Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority; the Cabatangan Evacuation Center with 50 beds, and partnered with 38 hotels too for the quarantine of returning residents and overseas workers. 

She said the City Tourism Office, which is in-charge of returning residents and overseas workers, has already catered and assisted over 7,300 “locally stranded individuals” and more than 1,300 returning overseas workers. 

“We also intensified our border control by establishing checkpoints and the conduct of curfew monitoring, putting up of control points on City boundaries including coastal and maritime patrol. Our personnel from the City Health Office along with other member agencies of the local task force, are assigned in these points of entries on land, air and sea to oversee that health protocols are followed and profiling of people who are coming in is being done to ensure monitoring and for quarantine and testing if need be,” Climaco said. 

The local government, she added, established medical telephone consultation, and referral and transport of patients from quarantine and isolation facilities to the hospital and barangays and vice versa. 

But despite the downtrend in Covid cases, Climaco said residents should strictly follow the health protocols and community quarantine guidelines. 

“We need to strictly follow the health protocols- use face mask and face shield in public places and to wash hands frequently and follow physical distancing always and avoid crowded areas or mass gatherings,” she said. 

The mayor also praised the dedication of medical professionals and health workers, including police and military frontliners who risk their own safety for others.  “We recognize all of them for their dedication and hardwork. You are all our heroes who continue to shine amidst this pandemic and toil daily so that others may live and be free from the virus,” she said. (Zamboanga Post)

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