BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia has tasked village officials in this city to identify and seal off “ultra risk” areas in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Leonardia announced this move through Executive Order (EO) No.28 on Tuesday.
He noted that these places are neighborhoods having residents who tested positive for COVID-19 and have not recovered, and persons who passed away with symptoms of the virus but without confirmatory test results yet.
According to the mayor, barangays should place homes and neighborhoods in question under complete lockdown for at least 14-days in close coordination with the City Health Office (CHO).
All barangay officials and CHO personnel, accompanied by police personnel, are mandated to conduct ocular inspections to determine the extent of the lockdown area and the start when the lockdown shall commence.
Meanwhile, subdivisions with fenced houses, the lockdown may only cover the residence of the patient concerned and all the people in the particular households. For subdivisions where residences may be separated only by a wall, the lockdown may include the houses at both sides and the back of the patient’s home and all of their households.
In densely-populated areas, the lockdown may cover a radius of 50 meters from the patient’s house, and all residents within the particular radius shall likewise be covered by the lockdown, the EO said.
It added the police and barangay officials will then make a house-to-house visit to inform the residents of the lockdown status and they would be given the contact number of the Barangay health Emergency Response Teams, which will facilitate the purchase of necessities requested by the households.
Rolling stores organized by the barangay may also serve the outer perimeter of the lockdown area, subject to special permits from the City Mayor’s Office, CHO and barangays.
Food assistance shall be provided by the city to low-income lockdown areas per assessment and recommendation by the city’s Department of Social Services and Development.
The lockdown will also not be lifted automatically after 14-days, as the CHO must first conduct a prior review and assessment before making the approval, it also cited./PN
