ILOILO City – In order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 in the province of Guimaras, five of its municipalities have already been identified as quarantine areas for persons under monitoring (PUMs), Gov. Samuel Gumarin said.
According to him, the said quarantine areas, which are equipped with beds, foams, pillows, chairs, comfort rooms, barricades, among others, will start accommodating PUM’s on March 27.
Jordan town’s quarantine facility is at its municipal gym in Barangay Poblacion, Buenavista town has two, which are located in the evacuation center of Barangay New Poblacion and in the Guimaras State College Agri-Eco Hotel in Barangay McLain. San Lorenzo town, meanwhile, has the Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Memorial High School in Barangay Constancia as its quarantine area.
The town of Nueva Valencia, on the other hand, identified its regional evacuation center in Barangay Poblacion as its quarantine facility, while Sibunag town designated its evacuation center in Barangay Dasal as the same.
The respective municipalities will provide food and water to the PUMs and personnel of the provincial government during their stay in the quarantine sites.
“Based on the experiences of other countries, this (situation) is hard. So, we are doing this to avoid community transmission,” Gumarin stressed.
When a PUM in a quarantine area will progress as a person under investigation (PUI), he/she will be transferred to the Nueva Valencia District Hospital.
“If he or she progresses to PUI, experience difficulty in breathing, our advance quarantine area for him or her is in Nueva Valencia District Hospital,” Gumarin said.
On the other hand, a PUM who completes the quarantine period without showing symptoms of the disease will be given a certification by their respective municipal health offices.
As of March 24, this province has a total of 702 PUMs under home quarantine and five PUIs.
137 of the PUMs are in Buenavista; 144 in Jordan; 224 in Nueva Valencia; 117 in San Lorenzo; and 80 in Sibunag.
Meanwhile, Gumarin said that two of those PUIs had mild manifestations and are on strict home quarantine, one was discharged from the Nueva Valencia District Hospital and the other two, who were also admitted, are now in stable condition.
He appealed to the Guimarasnons to cooperate with the government and health personnel in keeping the island province free from COVID-19.(With a report from PNA/PN)
