ILOILO City – This southern city has six active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) left as of March 18, data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unity (CESU) of the City Health Office (CHO) showed.
The CHO said there has been a drastic decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases. From Jan. 1 to March 18 this year, the city recorded 86 confirmed cases, of which 78 recovered while two died.
The city logged an average of one confirmed COVID-19 case per day during the period.
With this, the Iloilo City COVID Team prescribed less stringent measures to resuscitate the local economy.
Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday issued an executive order (EO) implementing Alert Level 1 in the city, pursuant to the nationwide alert level system, effective immediately unless otherwise modified, extended, or lifted earlier.
The EO was anchored on the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No. 5-B issued on March 15, 2023 wherein the taskforce maintained the alert level classification for Iloilo City under Alert Level I.
Alert Level I refers to areas where case transmission is low and decreasing, and total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate is low.
Under the said classification, there is a need for the city to realign its policies with the national guidelines and further strengthen its measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Treñas emphasized the city remains adherent to national IATF directives balanced with the constitutional policy on true autonomy of the local government unit as the authority directly responding to the ground situation in real time.
“While the local government of Iloilo City and the members of Iloilo City COVID team are constrained to make decisions protecting the right to life and provide for the right to health of the citizens implementing the imposed alert level classification of lATF and the health intervention measures adaptive to radical changes of COVID-19 transmission, it cannot be overemphasized that public awareness, vigilance, cooperation, and full adherence to public health protocols remain vital in community-wide responses,” read part of the EO.
Under Alert Level 1, public and private establishments are allowed to operate in full capacity, and persons, entities or activities are likewise allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full onsite or venue seating capacity, without need of securing written approval from the local chief executive or his designated compliance officers prior to the conduct of activity, subject to the continued adherence with the minimum public health standards and protocols.
Moreover, inbound travel to the city is allowed but subject to the corresponding guidelines, while vaccination rollout at the identified vaccination sites will remain unhampered./PN
