Pasay City Hall (file photo)
MANILA – The Pasay City government on Wednesday assured more stringent measures are in place to contain the new South African variant (SAV) of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after receiving reports that three of its residents have contracted the new strain.
Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said the three have already recovered from the disease, but contact tracing and tests are not yet over.
Rubiano said the patients will still have to undergo series of tests as part of the city's efforts to control the local transmission of the new variant.
"Hindi po tayo humihinto sa ating mga contact tracing para matiyak na mahahanap natin kung meron man silang nahawahan (We are relentless in our contact tracing efforts to make sure we can trace if they have infected others),” she said in a media interview.
Rubiano said the city government has imposed stricter protocols, reminding the residents not to be complacent, especially with the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines.
At least 77 barangays have been placed under localized enhanced community quarantine while one of these barangays is under total lockdown.
Rubiano said about 210 houses from these 77 villages are now being monitored.
She said 26 new nurses have been deployed to the isolation facilities located at the SM Mall of Asia, Folk Arts Theater, and Pasay Sports Complex.
Additional nurses will also be deployed at the Oplan Kalinga's isolation centers.
Some 180 police personnel have been tasked to enforce stricter community quarantine protocols while 100 contact tracers augmented the massive contact tracing efforts.
Rubiano said the Pasay City is not yet ready to be placed under moderate general community quarantine (MGCQ) amid the sudden surge in the city's Covid-19 cases.
“Bagamat gustung-gusto ko na talaga na mailagay kami sa MGCQ, subalit kailangan po muna naming makatiyak ng husto na talagang ligtas na ang aming lungsod mula sa virus bago kami ilagay sa MGCQ (As much as we want to put Pasay under MGCQ, but we really need to make sure that the city is safe before placing it under MGCQ),” Rubiano said. (PNA)
