LSIs arriving in Cebu City: Isolation required

CEBU, Philippines — Locally stranded individuals (LSI) who return to Cebu City will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day isolation and will be monitored strictly, said Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief of operations in Cebu of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

The alarming rise in the number of cases in the National Capital Region should not be taken for granted, Garganera said, especially by Cebu City, which has just transitioned back to general community quarantine on August 1.

In Siquijor, for example, after months of not having a single case, the island recorded its first two COVID cases over the weekend with Governor Zaldy Villa announcing that the two came from Manila.

“Among gikasubo sa tanan nga nay nakasulod nga COVID-19 positive sa atong isla, kini bisan pa tuod sa atong pagpaningkamot sa hugot nga pagpatuman sa health protocols. Ang isa taga lungsod sa Lazi u gang isa, taga lungsod sa Larena nga gikan sa Manila. Atong klaruhon nga wala tay local transmission diri sa probinsya," Villa said in an official statement Sunday.

(We regret to inform you that COVID-19 individuals have entered our province despite our stringent observance of health protocols. One of them is from Lazi while the other is from Larena. They came from Manila. We would want to make it clear that we do not have local transmission in the province.)

As far as Cebu City is concerned, Garganera said the LSIs will not have to undergo rapid or swab testing upon arrival as long as they have secured the necessary requirements before heading home.

Then again, Garganera said, even if they did not test positive for COVID-19, a negative result is not a guarantee because a person can always be infected after the test is done, thus, the importance of isolating for 14 days.

Requirement

Before they can return here, the LSIs need to secure a certificate of acceptance from the barangay they are residing in, just like what other LGUs are also requiring for their returning LSIs.

“It’s just also right that we also require them to secure the certificate of acceptance from the barangay to make sure that they have a proper place for a home quarantine. Dili ta pwede nga mukumpyansa pud (we cannot be complacent),” Garganera said.

Once a request for a certificate is made, the barangay captain concerned will have to check the residence of the LSI to make sure that there is a separate room for the SLI to stay at, with a restroom, and that the LSI will not be living with anyone pregnant or with comorbidities.

If the house does not meet these requirements, the LSI will have to stay somewhere else like a pension house or a hotel, which the LSI will have to pay for.

Garganera said the LSI cannot be brought to the barangay isolation centers as these are intended for COVID patients who are asymptomatic. Even BICs that do not have patients are being readied in the event more cases are found during contact tracing and testing.

Plans

Barangay captains in Cebu City will meet today, Monday, to discuss the rules on returning LSIs now that Cebu City is back to GCQ.

Garganera said checklists have to be uniform, whether the LSIs will be returning home by plane, by boat, or bus.

Garganera said he is eyeing at putting indelible ink on the finger of the LSIs so they can be recognized if they go out during the 14-day quarantine period.

“Maayo sigurong butangan ba kaha ni silag indelible ink parehas anang inig election para makabalo tag kinsay LSIs and kung di ni sila mag-home isolation, makalikay ang mga tawo. Mas maayo man ning magbantay ta kaysa mukumpyansa ta. But we have to discuss this matter pa kung unsa man gani,” Garganera said.

(Perhaps it would be good if we put indelible ink on their finger like during elections so we will recognize them and avoid them if they leave their homes during isolation period. It’s better to be preemptive than to be complacent. But we will have to discuss this first.)

Status

As of yesterday, there are less than a hundred Cebuanos who returned home, mainly from different parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. They will be monitored strictly before they will be allowed to go out again.

Cebu City has set up a staging area for LSIs at the Malacanan sa Sugbo. Currently, it can accommodate to as much as 500.They are also given free meals by the city government.

The LSIs who are returning by boat will be able to avail free ride going to six drop-off points – Pardo Church, Labangon barangay hall, Guadalupe barangay hall, Mabolo Church, Banilad gym, and JY Square via Fuente Circle.

Garganera is the city is concerned about Cebuanos stranded in Masbate because Masbate is set to go on lockdown on August 5 and there are no available trips to Cebu before that day.

As far as LSIs stranded in Cebu are concerned, the Cebu Port Authority has said at least 124 have already fulfilled requirements and were able to board a vessel out of the island.

Majority were bound for Cagayan de Oro, 23 for Surigao, 17 for Masbate, 16 for Nasipit, two each for Dapitan and Dumaguete, and one for Tagbilaran City.

Aside from limited capacity on boats, most local government units are also setting a limit in the number of LSIs returning home, depending on how many can be accommodated by at the LGU’s quarantine facility, as well as manpower for monitoring.

For example, Garganera said, Surigao will only accept a maximum of 300 LSIs in a week while Ormoc will only limit to 20 in a day. — JMO (FREEMAN)