SOCIAL DISTANCING. Officials of Koronadal City’s 27 barangays practice social distancing during a meeting at the city hall lobby on Wednesday as a measure against the 2019 coronavirus disease. The local government will place the city under general community quarantine starting March 23 as confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country rise. (Photo courtesy of the city government)
KORONADAL CITY – The city government here will place the area under general community quarantine starting March 23 to prevent the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Mayor Eliordo Ogena said the directive, through an executive order Wednesday night, is in response to the increasing confirmed Covid-19 cases in several parts of the country.
Ogena said despite the absence of confirmed cases in the area, the threat cannot be taken lightly due to the lack of test kits to gauge the degree of community infection.
“There is a need to be pro-active pending the availability of the testing kits and essential medical protective gear to prevent the possibility of community infection,” he said.
But he said the move should not be viewed as a total lockdown as it does not involve the closure of borders of the city, the regional administrative seat and center of Region 12 (Soccsksargen).
He said the citywide quarantine will complement the preemptive lockdown implemented on Monday in the entire province of South Cotabato.
Based on the mayor's EO, only residents will be allowed to enter the area when it takes effect on March 23, subject to identification requirements.
Ogena said frontline workers, civil servants and others whose work involves the delivery of basic services are exempted. The passage of all vehicles containing medicine and supplies, food and commodities for human and animal consumption will continue.
The mayor said persons who would be allowed to enter the city will be subject to information-tracking at the checkpoints and should observe proper disinfection measures.
He said persons showing Covid-19 symptoms shall not be allowed to enter unless they are seeking medical emergency and shall be properly escorted.
“Non-essential travels within and around the city is strictly prohibited and all constituents are directed to stay home,” he said.
Ogena said all sports, recreational activities and other forms of mass gatherings will be prohibited and social distancing should strictly be complied with at all times in all private and public places.
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the city has a total of 246 persons under monitoring (PUM) and undergoing home quarantine while 27 have already been cleared.
A situation report by the South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office’s (IPHO) epidemiology and surveillance unit, said the city has two patients under investigation (PUI) for Covid-19 and their laboratory results are still pending.
The Socomedics Medical Center temporarily closed down its emergency and outpatient department for 24 hours starting 11 a.m. Wednesday due to exposure with a PUI. It said the patient was immediately isolated and referred to the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital.
In the entire South Cotabato province, the number of PUMs undergoing home quarantine has increased to 1,412 while 256 have completed the observation protocol without exhibiting any sign and symptoms of the disease.
A total of eight PUIs are admitted to various local hospitals and seven were discharged.
But the report said only five of the patients have so far been tested negative and the 10 others are still awaiting laboratory confirmation.
Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., IPHO chief, said in a briefing the test results for the other PUIs are pending due to the lack of flights that will deliver the samples to laboratories in Metro Manila.
He said they are also facing a problem with the limited number of swab kits to extract samples from the patients.
Aturdido added they are hoping that the Department of Health can fast-track the establishment of a laboratory for Covid-19 tests at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City. (PNA)
