BY GLENDA TAYONA and IME SORNITO
ILOILO – All the residents of the municipality of Guimbal should now be considered persons under monitoring (PUM) for possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and are prohibited from leaving their homes for two weeks.
The Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 made such an assessment yesterday after confirming a local COVID-19 transmission.
Under DOH’s interim guidelines on the management of PUMs, these people must be subject to home quarantine for 14 days.
“Those undergoing home quarantine shall be prohibited to leave their rooms/homes where they are quarantined until they have been certified by the local health official to have finished the 14-day requirement for quarantine procedures,” read part of the guidelines (II. Guidelines, C) issued on Feb. 17, 2020 (Department Memorandum No. 2020-0090).
According to Director Marlyn Convocar, the first Guimbal resident – a 59-year-old male – to test positive for COVID-19 and became the region’s Patient No. 2 apparently infected his househelp, a 51-year-old woman (now the region’s Patient No. 18).
As of yesterday, Guimbal has three COVID-19 positive cases, with DOH-6’s confirmation of one more patient from the municipality – a 58-year-old male (died yesterday).
The 14-day quarantine for PUMs is “automatic”, according to DOH-6.
Data from the Iloilo Provincial Population Office showed Guimbal having a population of 35,601 as of 2018.
But why classify all Guimbal residents as PUMs?
According to Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of DOH-6’s Public Health Program Development, they took their cue from DOH central office. After local transmissions were confirmed in Metro Manila, people there were considered PUMs as a precautionary measure.
Also part of the measure was quarantining the National Capital Region.
“The same should be observed in Guimbal,” said Reyes.
She did not discount the possibility that there could be other COVID-19 positive persons in Guimbal.
“Amo na ang gusto naton tan-awon through contact tracing and monitoring of PUMs and possible PUIs sa Guimbal,” said Reyes.
She urged Guimbalanons experiencing sore throat, fever and cough, among others, to seek help from the rural health unit of the municipality or any health facility there such as the Rep. Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital.
“Kon may sintomas sang respiratory illness, puede mahambal nga patient under investigation (PUI) na sia. Our recommendation basta PUM, dapat home quarantine gid,” said Reyes.
DOH-6 appealed for the cooperation of all Guimbalanons; do not leave the house to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, unless very necessary.
Reyes also stressed the importance of social distancing – increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness.
“Observe proper hygiene, too. Nagapati kita nga sa sulod sang Guimbal daku ang risgu nga mag-transmit ang COVID-19 infection,” added Reyes.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets also land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
Meanwhile, Director Convocar stressed a lockdown is beyond the power of the DOH to impose. This is the call of the local chief executive, she clarified.
“Na-inform na namon si Governor (Arthur Defensor Jr.) kag si Mayor (Oscar Garin) about the local transmission. Kon ano ‘ya ang obrahon sang local chief executives, that’s beyond us alreadu,” said Convocar.
She added: “Depende ina (lockdown) sa local chief executive, and the governor must first confer with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Labor and Employment, among others, to address the after-effects of a lockdown.”/PN
