THE SURGE in the Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga City has drastically slowed down following the implementation of the stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine or MECQ here since May 8.
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| Zamboanga Post |
From 2,800 Covid-19 cases the past months, Zamboanga now has under 900 active coronavirus infections and the number continues to go down as the local Task Covid-19 headed by Mayor Beng Climaco has imposed aggressive measures to fight the spread of the deadly respiratory disease that has already killed more than 400 people, mostly those with other illnesses or comorbidity.
The spike in Covid-19 cases here was due to the complacency of residents and the presence of the more contagious variants of the virus – the South African, the U.K. and the Philippines variants of the novel coronavirus.
The Department of Health has confirmed this after it detected the three Covid-19 strains in Zamboanga City and warned the public that it is “one of the most virulent variants” today. The DOH also said in March that the U.K. variant was also present in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte after two overseas Filipino workers returned home in February infected with it.
With the alarming increase in active Covid-19 cases, the national government placed Zamboanga City and later on the whole of Region 9 or the Zamboanga Peninsula region under MECQ.
Under the MECQ status, Climaco re-imposed the use of the Quarantine Passes and residents are only allowed to go out three times a week to buy provisions, except those in essential services and APORs or Authorized Persons Outside Residence. And also imposed total lockdown on Sundays to allow the disinfection of commercial establishments and government buildings.
The mayor also issued an executive order forming the s0-called Barangay
Sita Task Force in every village to ensure residents strictly follow the health
protocols and MECQ guidelines.
The
Department of Health (DOH) has previously commended the local government for
its critical role in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of
various health programs here.
In a letter
to Climaco, the DOH said it recognizes Zamboanga City as an “outstanding local
government unit that has greatly contributed to the regional response against
the Covid-19 pandemic, and at the same time pushed for the unhampered
implementation of other critical health programs.”
The mayor
renewed her strong commitment to the national health programs and vowed to
continue supporting the DOH in the implementation of critical programs for the
welfare of the people.
In addition
to its pandemic response, the local government championed DOH health programs
and advocacies, including the measles-rubella supplemental immunization
activity in December, and the BIDA Solusyon sa Covid-19 which aims
to encourage the Filipinos to take an active role in the fight against the
coronavirus.
The campaign
promotes the active role of individuals in the fight against Covid-19 by
practicing BIDA, a battle cry or slogan meaning: “Bawal walang mask; I-sanitize ang mga kamay,
iwas-hawak sa mga bagay; Dumitansya ng isang metro and Alamin ang totoong
impormasyong.”
Climaco thanked
anew medical frontliners and all those who are in the forefront of the battle
against the pandemic, saying, all credits to the local government’s outstanding
pandemic response go to them.
City Health Officer
Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite said residents need to cooperate with the local
government and follow the health protocols. “We started MECQ on May 8 and more
than 3 weeks under MECQ ta mira kita hinay-hinay ya ta abaja el de aton active
cases. Hopefully, this trend will continue and we need everybody's help to
bring down our Covid-19 cases by following health protocols such as wearing of
face mask and face shield, physical distancing and frequently wash hands with
soap and water or sanitize them,” she said. (Zamboanga Post)
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