BY GLENDA TAYONA AND MAE SINGUAY
ILOILO City – The cities of Bacolod and Iloilo are appealing for lower coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine alert levels which would be taking effect beginning Nov. 1.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) placed this city under Alert Level 3 and Bacolod on Alert Level 4.
Citing a report from Iloilo City’s COVID focal person, Dr. Roland Fortuna, Mayor Jerry Treñas said “all the indicators” show the metropolis could be placed on Alert Level 2.
“We will file an appeal so we can allow economic activities. The DOH (Department of Health) (has been) informed we (are) already 88 percent fully vaccinated,” said Treñas.
The city mayor lamented that businesses here were hurting; many closed their stores which also meant no jobs for many people.
“We have the highest rate of vaccination in the region and our daily cases are among the lowest. It is time to start the revival of our economy which dropped to its lowest levels in decades. Let us help our businessmen have a merrier Christmas this year so that more jobs can be provided,” Treñas said.
The city mayor, on Sunday, said the city was finalizing its appeal although they were told that no appeal would be entertained, citing a meeting with the IATF-MEID.
On the other hand, Bacolod City’s Mayor Evelio Leonardia wanted a downgrade to the city’s alert level to 3.
In his letter to Health secretary Francisco Duque III, Leonardia stated COVID-19 cases in Bacolod were decreasing these past two consecutive weeks.
He also cited DOH’s report indicating that the total bed utilization and intensive care unit utilization rates in private and regional hospitals were also on the decline.
“The healthcare capacity utilization in all tertiary private and DOH regional hospitals in Bacolod is only at 69 percent, and only half of this is from Bacolod City. The rest are COVID-19 patients from Negros Occidental,” said Leonardia.
“ICU utilization rate is at 55.56 percent. Isolation facility accommodation has decreased significantly to only 19.66 percent,” he added.
To note, the policy shift on quarantine classification was recommended by the IATF and approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
“The drop in coronavirus disease cases and the improvement of the healthcare utilization rate (in Western Visayas) were the reasons for the expansion of the ALS (alert level system) there,” Roque said.
Under IATF-MEID’s Resolution 146-A, beginning Nov. 1 until Nov. 14, Bacolod City will be under Alert Level 4 while Iloilo City under Alert Level 3.
Those under Alert Level 2, on the other hand, are the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Antique, Aklan, Capiz and Guimaras.
Under Alert Level 4, indoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms may operate at 10 percent venue capacity while outdoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms may operate at 30 percent venue capacity.
Indoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms in areas under Alert Level 3 may operate at 30 percent venue capacity while outdoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms at 50 percent venue capacity.
Under Alert Level 2, indoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms may operate at 50 percent venue capacity while such services done outdoors at 70 percent venue capacity.
On-site capacities will only be allowed for fully vaccinated individuals, while take-out and delivery in restaurants will be allowed in all alert levels.
Earlier, the Palace official said the removal of community quarantines is possible as the country “accelerates its mass vaccination program” and with “fewer” vaccinated Filipinos getting hospitalized or dying from severe COVID./PN
