ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas pressed for the vaccination of the city’s “general population” as the metro’s active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) climbed to 1,073 yesterday. All those who wanted to be vaccinated should be allowed to get the jabs, notwithstanding the prioritization framework or group classification for vaccination, he stressed.
“I am making an appeal to the National Inter-Agency Task Force to already allow the vaccination of the general population,” according to Treñas last night.
A closer look at the surge in infections would show that most of the infected in Iloilo City now are individuals aged 20 to 31, he pointed out.
“These are persons who go out to make a living and…use public utility jeepneys to go to work,” said Treñas.
What is worrisome, according to the city’s chief executive, is that these economic frotliners “in turn infect other members of their families”, thereby further multiplying the infections.
“We need to make sure that everyone is safe. We have lost friends and loved ones because of COVID. How many more lives do you want to lose,” said Treñas.
The Department of Health’s (DOH) prioritization framework for COVID-19 vaccination follows the following sequence:
* A1. Workers in Frontline Health Services
* A2. All Senior Citizens
* A3. Persons with Comorbidities
* A4. Frontline personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel
* A5. Indigent Population
* B1. Teachers, Social Workers
* B2. Other Government Workers
* B3. Other Essential Workers
* B4. Socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and poor population based on the NHTS-PR
* B5. Overseas FIlipino Workers
* B6. Other Remaining Workforce
* C. Rest of the Filipino population not otherwise included in the above groups
The Iloilo City government’s vaccination rollout only recently progressed to A4 although there were still vaccinations for the A2 and A3 groups.
“Kinahanglan gid naton mapanubo ang aton mga kaso bag-o kita makabukas liwat sang aton ekonomiya,” said Treñas.
BORDER CONTROL
Beginning today until May 31, non-essential travel to Iloilo City is prohibited. Policemen are all set to enforce this restriction at border checkpoints.
“Confirmed positive cases are often recorded with those who have travel or those who have recently returned from non-essential travels or purposely for leisure outside Iloilo City,” Treñas said.
Under the city-wide border control, entry and exit to and from Iloilo City by way of land, sea and air travel shall no longer be allowed except for purposes of medical needs; accessing government services; transport of goods and/or construction materials; humanitarian purposes; and returning Overseas Filipino Workers (ROFs), Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs); and Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORs).
“Borders enforcers are given authority to request travelers to produce relevant documents to support their purpose of travel,” according to Treñas.
Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Police Colonel Uldarico Garbanzos said his men will be positioned in the following “quarantine border areas”:
* Jaro district (barangays Bitoon, Tagbak, Lanit, Buhang and Ungka)
* Mandurriao district (barangays Hibao-an and Calajunan)
* Arevalo district (barangas Mohon and Santo Niño Sur).
“We have enough men to man the quarantine control areas. The region(al police office) sent us around 500 personnel,” Garbanzos said.
NON-ESSENTIAL ESTABLISHMENTS
Only the following establishments, persons, or activities are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken while highly encouraging to adopt flexible work arrangements:
* with full-site capacity – public and private hospitals; health emergency and frontline services; manufacturers of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices and equipment; industries involved in agriculture, forestry, fishery and other components of the food value chain and workers;
essential and priority construction projects whether public or private; manufacturing related to food and other essential goods such as but not limited to detergents, diapers, and other personal hygiene products; essential retail and trade service establishments such as public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies, among others; food preparation establishments such as restaurants, kiosks provided that no-dine-in services shall be allowed; public and private financial service providers, and public transport providers and operator;
* maximum of 50 percent capacity – media establishments including their reporter and other field employees;
* maximum of 30 percent capacity – business processing outsourcing establishments (BPOs);
* on site skeletal force – dental, rehabilitation, optometry and other medical clinics; veterinary clinks; banks, money transfer services including pawnshops; energy sector; capital markets; water supply services; telecommunication companies; internet service and cable television providers; airline and aircraft maintenance, pilot and crews, and employees of aviation schools; funeral and embalming services; establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of machinery, leasing of real and personal properties; employment activities; teachers, professors, and other staff conducting online or flexible classes; and lawyers who will provide legal representation necessary to protect right of person as well as legal services for permitted establishment.
All other businesses, persons, or activities shall not be allowed to operate, work or be undertaken on-site on the said period.
Treñas also ordered the temporary closure of the Iloilo Esplanade, playgrounds and courts in all public plazas.
Gatherings of people not belonging to the same household are strictly prohibited while religious gatherings are only allowed at a maximum of 10 percent seating capacity.
“I am appealing to the hotels and other suppliers of those who have already set their wedding dates and sent out their invitations. The present number of cases plus the hospitals being full and the mechanical ventilators totally being used will not allow us to permit weddings which will result to a mass gathering and can be a super spreader. Please give allowances to the couple – the situation does not allow us to permit any mass gathering in the meantime,” Treñas added.
Meanwhile, city curfew is from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. Exempted from this are medical, government and uniformed personnel and those obtaining essential goods and services, or working in essential services or industries and offices that the nature of work requires employees to report on a night shift./PN
