By: Jemin B. Guillermo
ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Capiz has started the conduct of simultaneous “Kontra Dengue Day” in all barangays in the entire province here.
The simultaneous clean up drive, which started last July 13 will be done at 4 o’clock every Saturday for eight weeks.
The directive is contained in Executive Order No. 001, series of 2019 issued by Governor Esteban Evan B. Contreras which declares a dengue outbreak in the entire province of Capiz.
The declaration came after a thorough deliberation by the members of the Provincial Dengue Crisis Management Committee, composed of different agencies both from the government and private sectors, which was created by the Governor through Memorandum Order No. 44.
Record from the Provincial Health Office as of Morbidity Week 26 covering the period from January 1 to June 29 showed that there were already 2,177 dengue cases with 14 deaths in the entire province of Capiz.
“The figure is 771 percent higher as compared to the same period last year with only 250 cases and has already surpassed the five-year alert and epidemic thresholds computed for dengue cases in the province,” the Executive Order stated.
Earlier, the local government units of Pontevedra and President Roxas have respectively declared their towns under the state of calamity due to dengue.
Contreras, in the Executive Order, has enjoined all the local government units from the municipal, city and barangay levels in the province to institute preventive and control mechanisms within their respective jurisdictions, specifically to intensify the implementation of the Barangay Aksyon Kontra Dengue (ABKD), enhance the “4S” strategy and the 4 o’clock habit.
Further, intensified information, education and communication campaigns to communities and general public through various media platforms are also directed by the Governor. (PIA-Capiz)
