BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The city government of San Carlos in Negros Occidental ordered its 18 barangay captains to submit coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reports to the local Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Joe Recalex Alingasa, city disaster risk reduction management officer and EOC manager, said the reports should include individuals apprehended and measures against violators of quarantine protocols.
“This is being initiated due to the continuous rise in COVID-19 cases that now reached 19.04 percent positivity rate,” said Alingasa.
For his part, City Administrator Estefanio Libutan Jr. told barangay officials to submit reports on a weekly basis as part of the “Disiplina Kontra Pandemya” brigade.
Reports reached the EOC that barangay officials were allegedly not supportive of the contact tracing operations in their areas.
“Some of those under strict home quarantine were not religiously monitored. Some were seen going out of their houses,” said Dr. Wilmer Yap, Sangguniang Panlungsod member and EOC commander.
Yap and Alingasa both urged barangay captains to assert their authority over violators.
“Arrest them. Get them for police blotter so legal action can be taken by the city government,” they said.
Yap assured barangay officials of police visibility in their areas to protect them when apprehending violators.
He also told police officers to conduct another “one time, big time” operation for hard-headed residents especially in densely-populated areas.
Punong barangays were also tasked to implement a “one entrance one exit” system to minimize the movement of residents and know the non-residents that go in and out of their area.
The three barangays with the most number of COVID-19 cases were Barangay 2 at 71 followed by Barangay Rizal at 67 and Barangay 1 at 57.
To date, San Carlos City has a total of 412 COVID-19 infections – 65 were active, 320 recovered and 27 died./PN
