NIATF to deploy more COVID responders to Iloilo City

The national Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will augment Iloilo City’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response to prevent another outbreak similar to Cebu.

Iloilo City COVID-19 Team spokesman Jeck Conlu said General Melquiades Feliciano, NIATF Deputy Chief Implementer for the Visayas, will arrive in the city next to observe and assess the city’s response.

Feliciano served as the ground implementer of NIATF in Cebu which was considered as one of the epicenters of the virus in the country months ago.

The move stemmed from the meeting of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu, Presidential Adviser for the Visayas Sec. Mike Diño, and other officials on Wednesday.

According to Conlu, they will check the best practices implemented in Cebu in handling the COVID-19 outbreak to prevent a similar scenario in Iloilo City.

“Mabulig gid na sa aton because ma-discuss ang mga best practices sa Cebu nga pwede ma-apply diri sa Iloilo City so that indi mag-shoot up ang cases like in Cebu,” he said in a virtual press briefing on Thursday.

Aside from helping with the COVID-19 response, Conlu added that the city will also make use of the opportunity to directly ask for help from the national government especially in terms of additional resources for the city.

Conlu said the city already requested for facilities needed for the upgrading of the St. Therese Hospital from a quarantine facility into a Level I hospital.

Additional medical uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be deployed to the city to help in the implementation of minimum health standards in city barangays.

Based on Case Bulletin No. 152 of Department of Health Western Visayas (DOH-6) on Wednesday, Iloilo City recorded 772 total Covid-19 cases with 609 active cases, 149 recoveries, and 14 deaths. (ERS)