City Hall ends lockdown on COVID-hit village

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The extreme enhanced community quarantine (EECQ) in the COVID-19-hit barangay in Arevalo district has been lifted.

Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed in a radio interview Friday that the EECQ in Brgy. Sto Niño Sur in Arevalo district will end on May 9, 2020.

Treñas said the decision is based on the recommendation of the City COVID-19 Task Force, Department of Health (DOH), and medical experts.

The EECQ was imposed on Sto. Niño Sur after logging in six positive cases of the coronavirus disease 2019, almost half of the city’s total 15 cases.

“After sang medical conference namon kahapon upod sa COVID-19 Task Force composed of different doctors, and DOH, ang suggestion nila indi na kinahanglan mag-extend sang EECQ bangod na sanitize na naton and naka-conduct mass testing sa area,” he said.

According to the mayor, the city government headed by the City Health Office (CHO) has already conducted mass testing in the village since last week.

“Naka-mass testing na kita umpisa pa sang ligad semana. Ang importante lang istriktuhon nila ang mga protocols,” he stressed.

Sto. Niño Sur was placed under EECQ for 72 hours since Wednesday.

During the EECQ, residents were prohibited from leaving their homes and all forms of transportation within the barangay were also restricted.

Six residents of the said barangay have been infected by Covid-19, according to the local officials.

 

The COVID-19-positive cases in the barangay include a driver of the Iloilo City Emergency Response (ICER), four barangay health workers (BHW), and one barangay kagawad.

The mayor said all confirmed cases in Sto. Niño Sur are in the isolation facility of the city government in St. Therese Hospital.

Meanwhile, Treñas reminded the residents to follow the quarantine protocols once the EECQ is lifted particularly in securing quarantine passes when they leave their homes.

“Magsunod lang  tani sila sa aton protocol. Indi na sila magwa kon wala man kinahanglanon. Indi kagwa dapat sa barangay ang wala sang quarantine passes,” he said.

He also appealed for cooperation from the barangay officials of the said village.

“Nami tani mabulig ang barangay officials. Dapat mabuligay na lang kita, buligan ta na lang ini,” he said.

There were delays in the distribution of food assistance from the city government to the residents due to the lack of coordination, particularly with barangay officials.

Around 20 individuals from the city government helped in the distribution of food assistance to the residents on Thursday.