Special Covid teams now in Zambo

THE REGIONAL Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF-MEID) has deployed special teams in Zamboanga City as part of an effort to help the local government address and mitigate the surge in Covid-19 cases here.

Manuel Luis Ochotorena, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defence, meets with Mayor Beng Climaco at City Hall.  (Bong Serondo)

The RIATF-MEID special Covid teams are led by Manuel Luis Ochotorena, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defence in Zamboanga Peninsula. Ochotorena also met with Mayor Beng Climaco, head of the local IATF-MEID and other task force members, and discussed the prevailing health situation here.

Zamboanga has nearly 3,000 active Covid cases which forced the RIATF-MEID to recommend to the national government’s IATF-MEID to impose stricter quarantine measures. The city has been placed under Moderate Enhanced Community Quarantine until end of the month.

Ochotorena said they are going around different barangays to see and assess the situation, especially those with a high number of Covid cases. “Binibisita namin yun mga ibat-ibang barangays to check and see how they manage Covid cases. We need to assess the situation to come up with various measures and recommendations sa local government, sa local IATF so we can mitigate the spread of the virus,” he told the Zamboanga Post.

He said residents must strictly follow the public health protocols and community quarantine guidelines set by the local government. “People should strictly follow all these health protocols and the quarantine guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus in the community. This is very important to ensure the safety of every one because Covid-19 is a serious disease,” he said.

Ochotorena also lauded the health protocols imposed by Climaco at the Fort Pilar shrine during the celebration of the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival. “Mabuti nga at mahigpit yun implementation ng health protocols natin sa Fort Pilar. It was really a potential (Covid) super spreader event and delikado talaga to allow more people sa Fort Pilar,” he said.

He also commended Climaco and the local IATF-MEID for their efforts in battling Covid-19. He said special Covid teams were also deployed in other cities and provinces in the region. (Zamboanga Post)