CEBU, Philippines — With six new COVID-19 positive cases recorded yesterday, city health officer Daisy Villa believes it is best to extend the enhanced community quarantine in Cebu City.
As of April 14, 2020, the city has recorded a total of 31 cases with the five new cases in Sitio Zapatera, Barangay Luz and the case in Barangay Labangon.
But Villa said that should Mayor Edgardo Labella decide to extend the ECQ, it should be done in a gradual manner.
"Dili nato idali og lift ang atong ECQ… We have to extend. Dili sad nato idiretso og extend... extend og two weeks lang sa. Di nato i-extend og one month diretso," Villa said.
(We should not lift the ECQ right away… We have to extend but we should extend directly for a month… we can extend it for two weeks first)
Because Labella’s executive order stipulated that the ongoing ECQ will be until April 28, Villa said new guidelines must be put in place ahead of a possible extension.
Cebu City is on its third week of ECQ, which started midday on March 28 until midday on April 28 “or unless sooner lifted or withdrawn.”
Labella, for his part, said the decision to extend will depend on the situation.
"It's premature for us to say at this point that we will have it extended or we are going to lift it. It will depend on the circumstance, the situation," Labella said yesterday.
With the situation in the city still volatile, Labella also requested schools in the city to refrain from making premature announcements with regard to resumption of classes.
For his part, Councilor David Tumulak appealed to the public to observe social distancing strictly and abide by the stay at home order to prevent the spread of the virus.
"We know nga daghan na kaayo ang na-hasol, nabalaka, nakuyawan aning COVID-19, but if they will religiously follow the order of the government, mahunong gyud ning COVID-19," Tumulak said.
(We know that many have been inconvenienced, many are worried and scared because of COVID-19 but if we follow the order of government, we can stop COVID-19).
Additional Suggestion
The Bayanihan Infection Control Team (BICT) has also suggested an extension of the ECQ.
BICT is the team that will manage the Bayanihan Cebu Field Centers/First Response Areas for COVID-19 in Cebu City located at the old Sacred Heart School, North Reclamation Area, and International Eucharistic Center.
Dr. Shawn Euclid Gandhi Espina of BICT said they are recommending a delay in the lifting of the ECQ but a plan to restart the economy should also be made.
"It has been predicted that if we lift it early like on the 28th, based on certain models is that in 1.5 months, our intubated patients will increase to as much as 500 patients. Those needing ICU will be around 6000. Mild cases will reach as much as 40,000. This will be all over Region 7. Most of these cases will be in Cebu. Our healthcare system will not be able to tackle these numbers… So we are recommending a delay in lifting the ECQ," Espina said.
"A stricter Infection Control Program (ICP) across all aspects of the economic sphere, including public and private company transportation, shall be implemented. This covers company policies, workplace safety, physical arrangement to comply with social distancing, workflow modeling, etc.,” Espina added.
Espina, the Incident Commander of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said the BICT will come up with the basic ICP Principles that will be sent to all industries particularly those which must start early like those selling food, medical items, and agricultural products.
Additionally, Espina said a mass testing will be a requisite for employment.
"A protocol will be followed. The private sector will be asked to subsidize the costs of tests as it is now clearly noted that the cost of business loss from non-operation is more than the cost of testing," Espina said.
"This will be the new norm and this phase of containment will have to extend until a viable vaccine is developed or until a good number of the population shall have been immune as evidenced by the development of IgG antibodies,” she said further.
Centers
The BICT centers will house COVID-19 positive patients who are mildly or moderately affected to unburden hospitals.
The SHS Bayanihan Cebu Field Center is a partially enclosed space (gym) that employs volume reduction and control, a negative pressure chamber, and wooden frames enclosed in polyethylene sheets.
The Bayanihan IEC Field Center is completely enclosed and built model (convention center) that also uses volume reduction and control, negative pressure, and octanorm frames encased in PE sheets.
The facility at the North Reclamation Response Area is a stand-alone prefab warehouse model retrofitted for infection control standards using negative pressure for patient chamber.
"These centers use materials meant to be reused and the case of the North Reclamation Area which was intended for the city warehousing complex, a prefab warehouse system was used and retrofitted in compliance with infection control standards," Espina said. JMO (FREEMAN)