Zambo's Covid-19 response ‘very commendable and impressive’

THE REGIONAL Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team commended Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco who heads the local Covid-19 task force for her active role in addressing the health crisis.

 

OCD Regional Directot Manuel Luis Ochotorena

Manuel Luis Ochotorena, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense and other members of the CODE Team cited Covid-19 response and efforts of the local government, especially the creation of the Inter-Agency Compliance Team, the Barangay Sita Task Forces and Barangay Information Officers Network which ensure compliance of health and safety protocols and community quarantine guidelines. 

The CODE Team recently held its first leg of virtual townhall consultation with various local governments in Zamboanga Peninsula or Region 9 in Western Mindanao, particularly those where high Covid-19 cases have been reported. 

Ochotorena described the local government’s Covid-19 initiatives as “very commendable and impressive” and complied with the PDITR strategy in fighting the spread of the deadly virus which are Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment and Reintegration. 

From 2,800 active cases in previous months, the number of Zamboanga’s Covid-19 infections now under 1,000 after city was placed under the stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine since May 8 following a sudden spike in coronavirus.

Ochotorena said the CODE, which was approved in September last year by the national government’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on the recommendation of the Department of Health (DOH) , aims to demonstrates active case finding strategies to prevent and eliminate clusters of community transmission of the virus and to provide guidance and recommendations to strengthen the implementing measures and mechanisms in fighting against the impact of pandemic while maintaining the balance between health and economy.

CODE is headed by the National Task Force on Covid-19.

Good Job

Last March, DOH Assistant Secretary Romeo Ong congratulated Climaco and the local government for keeping the number of active Covid cases below 100. Zamboanga’s lowest active Covid-19 cases were only about three dozen.

“I congratulate the City (Government of Zamboanga) for keeping the active cases to below 100, we should not keep our guards down, especially on our borders,” he said.

Ong also urged residents to follow the strict health protocols, especially after Covid cases spiked in other parts of the country, especially in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces.

“This pandemic proves again this is not only a national, but a global challenge. The virus recognizes no national boundaries, no difference in political system, in culture, in religion whatsoever. It attacks all of us the same way. So there is an even greater need for closer and more effective cooperation, it has to be a whole of government and whole of society approach,” he said. 

“My message is to always keep the minimum health standards, keep masks and face shields on, social distance and washing of hands. No matter whether it is the variant or not, it is the same virus and the transmission is the same. For our health care workers, get vaccinated. We are about to go to the next batch of vaccines,” Ong added. 

Climaco said the “raging battle” to stop, if not reduce the spread of the deadly respiratory virus and other Covid variants, is not only the work of government alone, but of everyone as everybody is vulnerable to the dreaded disease.

She again reminded residents not to be complacent and always use face mask and face shield in public places, and sanitize or wash hands with soap and water frequently, and comply with the community quarantine guidelines. “I am enjoining the public to please cooperate with and help government in the implementation of these health protocols,” she said.

City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite also echoed the same appeal. “While we have the vaccines, this is no time to relax and we still have to practice proper wearing of face mask and face shield, practice hand hygiene and observe physical distancing. Until we get 70% of our population vaccinated, we will not be really protected from infection and surges,” she said.

Climaco has repeatedly ordered the strict enforcement of health protocols at the borders and in different barangays to prevent the spread of Covid-19. She emphasized anew the need for mandatory RT-PCR testing for all travellers.

“The strict enforcement of the regulations and protocols is being done to ensure that Covid-19 will not thrive in the city. All persons should be subject to compliance with the IATF-MEID and local government health protocols for everyone’s safety and protection. No queremos que se enfermen porque al final el gobierno local tiene que cuidarlos,” she said.

“We reiterate the need for public compliance on all safety and health protocols to prevent a spike in Covid cases. The wearing of face mask and face shield, washing hands often with soap and water, or alcohol, and the strict observance of physical distancing remain to be our main defense against Covid-19,” the mayor said.

But the emergence of a new Philippine variant of Covid-19, and also the U.K. and South African variants in Zamboanga City resulted in the surged in fresh coronavirus cases here and is being handled aggressively by Climaco in an effort to lower the tab and at the same time vaccinate the residents. (Zamboanga Post)

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