‘AGAIN, NO LOCKDOWN’: Iloilo City gov’t will not use COVID-like response to pertussis

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Iloilo City government on Tuesday reiterated that it will not pursue the lockdowns and travel restrictions observed during the 2-year Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, amid a pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak among early-aged children in the city.

In a press release, Mayor Jerry Treñas said that city government offices, led by the City Health Office (CHO), are currently implementing measures to arrest the infection, which commonly attacks infants and young children, but clearly stated that a lockdown wasn’t something that they were considering.

Section 1(A) of Executive Order No. 046 Series of 2024, issued by the mayor last March 27, provided that “Lockdown measures will not be resorted to as an outbreak response for pertussis[.]”

“Placing the city under the state of calamity paved the way for us to strengthen our outbreak response. But I would like to reiterate that we don’t impose lockdown,” the mayor said.

The CHO’s April 1 public health advisory outlined the following strategies as likewise mandated by Treñas’ EO:

–       Public information campaigns to raise awareness about pertussis, its symptoms, and preventive measures;

–       Enhanced vaccination campaigns against pertussis and other vaccine-preventable diseases in various community settings;

–       Reinforced disease surveillance systems to swiftly identify, manage, and track the disease’s spread; and

–       Referral to hospitals of probable or confirmed pertussis cases for medical treatment and isolation.

Their advisory also reminded the public to observe key hygiene practices, including regular handwashing with soap and water, covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, and maintaining distance from ill individuals.

The mayor in his press conference on Monday also stated that the Uswag Molecular Laboratory in Molo district is currently undergoing upskilling to be able to detect pertussis, which may ultimately enable them to test for the disease, and possibly test cases in Iloilo province and other neighboring areas as well.

The CHO’s pertussis data as of April 1 indicated a total of 20 cases, which comprise 9 cases confirmed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City, 11 probable cases (with 6 pending test results), and 0 deaths.