BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia said Monday the city is ready to transition to the less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) status after putting in place various measures to limit the local transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
This was underscored by Leonardia in a letter addressed to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), hours before the latter announced during President Rodrigo Duterte’s televised address on Monday night that Bacolod’s status would be de-escalated to GCQ effective October 1.
Bacolod was placed under modified ECQ from September 8 to 30, which suspended all forms of public transportation and shut down the majority of businesses in the city.
It came more than a week after the team of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, member of the IATF-EID, and retired Maj. Gen. Melquiades Feliciano, deputy chief implementer of IATF-Visayas, came to help the city government bring down its rising Covid-19 cases using the Cebu City model.
Since then, Leonardia said, Bacolod has undertaken several measures under a centralized system in its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with the guidance and close supervision of Feliciano, resulting in a downtrend in Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks.
“With these measures in place, we are confident that the City of Bacolod is ready to transition into GCQ,” he told Duque in the letter.
Leonardia cited figures as of September 27, showing 3,636 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 66 deaths or a case fatality rate of 1.81 percent and 2,335 recoveries or 64.21 percent.
“(This) correlates to good management and treatment at our isolation facilities and hospitals,” he said, adding that based on the local government unit (LGU) risk matrix, the growth rate of Covid-19 cases in Bacolod in the past two weeks is -26 percent, which is considered low, being below zero, while the average daily attack rate is 11 cases.
Leonardia said the figures show “a significant indication of a continuous reduction of additional cases in the city.”
“It is but a logical step for the city to transition into GCQ. Our city must reopen several businesses and allow back public transportation to enliven the local economy again after almost a month-long lull. While saving lives is of ultimate importance, with a GCQ, we can also save the livelihoods of our people,” he added.
During the MECQ, the city government adopted the home quarantine pass system to limit the movement of its residents and enforced a lockdown on Sundays during the entire September. (PNA)
