COVID-19 WATCH: Quarantine for persons who travelled abroad

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Iloilo City government ordered all persons who travelled abroad to undergo strict quarantine to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Mayor Jerry Treñas issued the edict Wednesday via Executive Order No. 47 declaring strict compliance to self-quarantine in Iloilo City.

“I do hereby order and declare all persons who travelled from abroad or persons under monitoring to strictly undergo self-quarantine to protect the health and safety as well as minimize/contain the spread of the virus,” the order said.

 

Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, focal person of the Iloilo City COVID-19 Task Force, appealed to all persons arriving from abroad, particularly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to cooperate and abide by the order to help keep the city free from the disease.

 

“Amo na gapangabay kita sa tanan nga gaalabot kapin pa OFW kon pwede malikawan anay ang paggwa sa aton mga balay and undergo self-quarantine. With the strict implementation and cooperation sang tanan, dako gid ini nga bulig para sa aton kay indi lang pamilya mo mahalitan but the whole barangay will be affected,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.

The city has 77 PUMs, according to Fortuna.

The PUMs include 25 in Jaro; 17 in Arevalo; ten in Molo; nine in Lapaz; six in Mandurriao; five in City Proper; three in Lapuz while two remain unidentified.

Fortuna said the PUMs will undergo 14-day quarantine to monitor for signs and symptoms.

“If the PUMs do not exhibit any signs of COVID-19 after the 14-day quarantine, medical officers will issue the lifting of the quarantine,” Fortuna added.

Aside from this, the mayor also issued EO No. 048 on Wednesday amending EO No. 038 which suspended all public gatherings in Iloilo City until further notice.

EO No. 038 originally ordered the suspension of all public gatherings in Iloilo City from February to March 2020.

The amended EO extended the ban to mass gatherings, social events like barangay fiesta, public and private school activities from preschool to high school, rallies and similar activities.

“It is imperative and necessary to protect the health and safety of the constituents of Iloilo City by extending the suspension of public gathering to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19,” Treñas said.

Meanwhile, Fortuna said the city government met with the barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs), including the academe and religious sector on Wednesday to discuss the two executive orders of the mayor and identify their roles in monitoring COVID-19 in the city.

“We met with the barangays and we gave them a list of PUMs in their respective barangays. During the dengue outbreak, we gave them spraying cans and now it can also be used for disinfection against COVID-19,” he said.