‘WHERE’S COVID?’: Biz leaders empty-handed in talk with COVID-19 czar

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – “Where’s COVID?”

Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) executive officer Frank Carbon said this was the impression they got from Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., Chief Implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19, during their Sept 11, 2020 meeting with the official.

Carbon said “nothing” came out of their meeting.

He added that Galvez asked for two weeks to install a digital data gathering system, including the setting up of a COVID info data bank and develop a comprehensive and up-to-date report on the “where, how, and why of local transmission.”

Carbon said Galvez also asked to prepare a Virus Containment and Business Continuity Plan then implement it, monitor the progress and revise, if needed.

“In a way, he is saying that ‘I can’t answer now your issues but give me two weeks, I might be able to help you open up your business and create more jobs and livelihood’,” Carbon added.

The two issues presented by the business sector were:

-no to total lockdown of the economy but consider granular or localized lockdown and allow public transportation where movement is safe; and

-prepare a Virus Containment and Business Continuity Plan.

Carbon also said that Galvez “has very limited information in his hands right now for him to evaluate our requests.”

He further said that the data on COVID cases “are scattered all over the place. He has to gather them and make some sense of these information.”

“The data should include COVID patients/persons, hospital facility and personnel quarantine facilities, just to mention a few.”

It should also include “testing laboratories’ capabilities and of course financial status or capability of the local government unit.”

While data from the Department of Health show that there are more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases in the city, Carbon said that there is “no readily available data as to specific location.”

“If we cannot discuss openly and honestly, the days ahead will be arduous and painful for many of us. We are all paying for these now, some with their lives.” Carbon said.