Extreme measures for 51 ‘hot zones’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said extreme measures need to be taken to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after 51 barangays in 22 towns were identified as hot zones.

Lacson said an area will be declared as a hot zone if it has one COVID-19 positive patient, one person under investigation (PUI), or at least five persons under monitoring (PUM).

The 51 barangays with PUIs will be placed under extreme community quarantine for 14 days as an extreme measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Lacson said.

PUI are persons with signs and symptoms and have travel history to infected areas. PUMs are asymptomatic, have travel history to infected areas or may have been exposed to positive cases.

As of March 29, the province had one positive COVID-19 case, with 188 PUIs, and 16,335 PUMs.

The governor said residents in these areas will not be allowed to leave their houses and food will be delivered to them.

Lacson also said that the Yolanda Housing Project in EB Magalona town is being prepared as the designated PUI Quarantine Center. Each PUI will be assigned to a housing unit during the 14-day quarantine and will be provided with food.

The quarantine center has 210 beds, thermal gun scanners, communication equipment, personal protective equipment, emergency medicine, supplies, and hygiene kits.

It also has staff quarters, water and electricity, a kitchen for food preparation, garbage disposal, and an ambulance on standby.

Nurses, administration staff, security, doctors, and utility workers will also be provided.

The barangays in Negros Occidental that will be placed under Extreme Community Quarantine are in Bago City (6), Binalbagan (2), Cadiz (1), Calatrava (3), Cauayan (1), EB Magalona (2), Escalante (1), Himamaylan (2), Hinigaran (4), Isabela (1), Kabankalan (1), La Carlota (2), Manapla (1), Moises Padilla (3), Murcia (1), Pontevedra (2), Pulupandan (1), Sagay (2), San Carlos (8), Sipalay (2), Talisay (2), and Valladolid (3).