FACE MASK REQUIRED. City government employees and clients transacting at the Iloilo City Hall are required to wear face masks amid the increasing cases of Covid-19. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas in a Viber message on Tuesday evening (April 11, 2023) said face masks will ensure that infection will not increase in closed areas. (PNA photo by PGLena)
ILOILO CITY – The city government here has again required its employees and clients transacting at the Iloilo City Hall to wear face masks due to the rising cases of the coronavirus disease.
“Face masks will ensure that infection will not increase in closed areas while continuing with the services of the city,” said City Mayor Jerry Treñas in a Viber message to members of the media Tuesday evening.
Trenas and his spouse, Rosalie, were among those infected by the disease last month and the mayor was able to report back to the office on Tuesday.
He added though that the hospitalization rate does not increase since most of the cases were mild.
Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, City Health Office assistant department head, in a previous announcement, said from January until March this year, Iloilo City has only recorded one case of Covid-19 daily. However, the figure increased to four since the start of April.
“It is thus important to continue the minimum public health standards in our place of work and recreation. The minimum public health standards shall continue to be implemented to prevent and minimize the spread of Covid-19 in the country,” he said.
Minimum public health standards include physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and wearing of masks, regardless of vaccination status.
In January 2022, the city recorded a total of 7,263 cases, out of which 1,641 were reported in February and 265 in March as against the 101 total cases in the past three months of 2023.
In April 2022, the city had 36 cases with an average of one case a day while there were already 21 cases as of April 11 this year. (PNA)
