ILOILO – The spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases here in the past three days is ringing an alarm, according to Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares- Quiñon, acting head of the Provincial Heath Office (PHO).
“This is very alarming. We have 68 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 (on May 13). Maasin topped with 10 new cases, followed by Pavia (9), Oton (7) and Pototan (7),” said Quiñon.
She added that, on May 11, the province logged 47 new cases and another 47 on May 12.
The 68 cases were the highest recorded by the province in May, in terms of new infections, she said.
Between May 1 and 13, the province had 331 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with an average of 25 cases recorded per day.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said this prompts the provincial government to immediately implement its latest executive order “for intensified prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration to prevent the surge of COVID-19.”
The following key measures for COVID-19 prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration for surge prevention or management, shall be implemented:
1. COVID-19 vaccination of the targeted eligible population, under the Provincial COVID-19 Vaccination Deployment and Immunization Plan 2021-22 (COVAC PLAN 21-22);
2. Strict observance of the 3M-Strategy – Magmaskara, Magdistansya kag Manghinaw;
3. Strict observance of minimum public health standards in the movement of persons, transportation, establishments and other aspects of public life;
4. Maintenance of strict health protocols and quarantine measures for inbound travel to the Province;
5. Strict regulation of social/public events and gatherings;
6. Intensified and timely barangay monitoring, detection and isolation/quarantine of COVID-19 contacts, suspect, probable and confirmed case;
7. Fast and efficient contact tracing, and the creation of Provincial Contact Tracing Team to augment the capacity of the Local Contact Tracing Teams;
8. Strategic and extensive COVID-19 testing and creation of the Provincial Testing Team to augment the capacity of the City/Municipal Health Offices/Rural Health Units;
9. Adoption of Reverse Isolation as a frontline strategy to protect vulnerable persons, and strengthening of the LIGTAS COVID-19 Centers of the province, city/municipalities and barangays; and
10. Implementation of the Socio-economic Healing and Recovery of the Province of Iloilo towards Reintegration (Project SHARP) and Project Prime as frontline strategies for social healing and economic recovery towards reintegration.
“I-angut na naton ina sa aton executive order para mapunggan na ang pagsaka sang cases,” Defensor said.
One thing the governor will also focus on is the strict monitoring of Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORs).
“Ang APORs naton should be subject to the health protocols sang establishments, sang office or sang facilities nga nagabaton sa ila. Why? Kay ti obra kag negosyo ila. So, dira naton sila i-monitor. And we require the establishments to report to the municipal health office or local government units the implementation of health protocols sa ila nga APORs,” Defensor added.
The governor is enjoining all local government units to also issue their executive orders, directing establishments to strictly monitor APORs and submit reports on their compliance to protocols.
“Kon ma-monitor or detect dayun ang APORs incase (they would) exhibit symptoms, ma-isolate and ma-manage immediately,” he said.
As of April 14, Iloilo had 6,347 total coronavirus cases – 477 active, 5,690 recovered and 179 deaths./PN
