‘I HEARD YOUR CRIES’: Mayor seeks GCQ status for economy’s sake

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas hopes that the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) grants the city’s request to de-escalate to the more permissive General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to quell the economic impact of the stricter Modified Enhanced CQ (MECQ).

Treñas on Monday met with the city’s COVID Team and the business sector to discuss the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

The mayor told Bombo Radyo Iloilo that from June 1 to 13, the daily average of new COVID-19 cases was 139.

He also said that the COVID Team told him that there was “no other choice” but to reopen amid this surge due to the economic losses brought about by the MECQ.

The mayor stated the following moves under the ‘more permissive’ GCQ:

– All establishments may open up to 30 percent capacity;

– Quarantine passes will no longer be required; and

– Sale of alcoholic drinks will resume, but public consumption will still be prohibited.

“It is also understood by the COVID Team that we have no choice but to reopen because there are many complaining that they do not have any income left because they were not able to work. The city cannot just give away food assistance to all,” Treñas said.

Business establishments will be helping in the implementation and enforcement of guidelines together with the city’s Compliance Team.

In a statement, Treñas said that he “heard the call” of small businesses to reopen, but also asked for utmost cooperation otherwise they may be penalized.

“I have heard the cry of our small business owners, and I understand that people are starving, so despite our increasing cases, we will open establishments but continue to be strict with the compliance of the protocols. Non-compliance will be subject for closure,” he said.

Treñas said that guidelines are being finalized to ease restrictions should the IATF-MEID deny the city’s request.

“Even if we will not be in a change of classification like GCQ, we can still add protocols which will allow more establishments to open so we can implement that,” he said in the radio interview.

 

NO MORE TESTS

Treñas also announced that asymptomatic close contacts will no longer be tested and will only be requested to undergo home quarantine to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

The city will also provide food assistance with monitoring from barangay officials and local police.

“If there will be a positive case from an establishment, we will have to take care of how we can make sure that that establishment will be safe for everyone. I am now preparing the letter to be sent [to the IATF-MEID],” he said.

Locally-stranded individuals and returning overseas Filipinos will still be swabbed upon arrival.

COVID-19 cases in the city continue to go up, and the Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) on Monday also confirmed that the city has 9,497 COVID-19 cases (2,734 active cases, 6,529 recoveries, and 231 deaths).

During their regular ‘Isyung Bakuna’ program, DOH-WV CHD Medical Officer IV Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray said that decisions on the city’s status will depend on the IATF-MEID’s judgement.

“The requests for escalation or de-escalation of a quarantine status will come from the national IATF. Our group of experts will consider the de-escalation criteria such as the Average Daily Attack Rate, the 2-Week Growth Rate, the Health Care Utilization Rate, and the gatekeeping measures and the capacity of the local government to respond to case surges, with the recommendation of the regional IATF-MEID,” Natalaray said.