ILOILO – Several town mayors are opposing the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) move to ease physical distancing controls in public transport, which is feared to trigger a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
Physical distancing, also called social distancing, in public vehicles was reduced to 0.75 meters from the original one meter gap beginning Monday to help the public transport sector recover from the slump caused by lockdown measures.
The separation would be further adjusted to 0.5 meter by Sept. 28 and to 0.3 meter by Oct. 12.
But according to Mayor Jaime Esmeralda of Igbaras, reducing distancing among commuters to increase ridership is inconsistent with the minimum safety standards that authorities have been teaching the public for six months now.
Esmeralda, a physician, warned the relaxation of physical distancing measures could further increase transmission of the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.
“Kon i-base mo sa study, ang trajectory sang mga laway naton kon mag-ubo, hambal, sip-on is more than one meter. Ti kon mag-atubangay kita kag amo lang ran kalayo sang aton distansya puede mo gid ako malatnan kon positive ka sa virus kay ti puede kaabot sa akon ang imo laway,” Esmeralda explained in an interview with Panay News.
To recall, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the proposal of the Economic Development Cluster and the DOTr to increase ridership by reducing the physical distance requirement in mass transit.
Esmeralda, however, lamented the national government’s confusing and contradictory directives, leaving local chiefs to act on their own only to encounter problems later on.
“Amo na kis-a nabudlayan or kahapo maglagas sang ila directive kay kon lantawon mo pirme lang indi bala nagakaangay. Kami nga mga mayors ma-convene naman; daw kahapo sang obra,” the mayor pointed out.
Esmeralda decided to keep the one-meter distance policy on board public utility vehicles in Igbaras.
“Diin ang mas importante ang palangitan-an ukon ang kabuhi?” he asked.
Concepcion’s Mayor Raul Banias has also the same question.
Banias, also a medical doctor, expressed apprehension that relaxing the physical distance requirement could place people at risk of contracting the infectious disease.
Local authorities, he said, have been urging their constituents to practice social distancing even at home and in their workplace. Why would the government allow them to forego this safety measure when taking public transportation when the threat of COVID-19 still persists, the mayor asked.
“Bilang isa man ka doctor, indi ako magsang-ayon sa directive kag ang amon ya gihapon ginapatigayon sa public transport is to continue sang aton ginapasunod nga mga standing protocols,” Banias stressed.
Mayor Rosario Mediatrix Fernandez of San Enrique, for her part, emphasized the importance of health and life of her constituents.
“Ang akon take between life, health and economy, I think life and health should make the top most priority,” Fernandez pointed out.
She said the national task force is only circumventing existing health protocols due to economy issues.
“Dapat ang leaders and decision makers especially ang national task force should set their priority straight. I think everything else will be nothing without health and life,” Fernandez added.
The World Health Organization recommends the public to stay at least one meter away from each other to reduce the risk of potentially transmitting respiratory droplets that may contain the virus, which is produced while talking, coughing, shouting and singing.
One meter is nearly equivalent to a motorcycle’s length.
COVID-19 is primarily spread through respiratory droplets that are airborne in enclosed indoor settings with poor ventilation or those with recirculated air.
Strictly practicing physical distancing measures is one of the means in mitigating the spread of the pathogen which has a high transmission rate.
Experts said that observing such a preventive measure is crucial for “flattening the curve” or significantly reducing the number of infections in a community so that the health care system wouldn’t be burdened.
Malacañang previously said that maintaining physical distance will be a huge part of the “new normal” while a vaccine is not yet publicly available against the viral disease.
On Monday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the IATF will hold a meeting to discuss the new physical distancing measure following concerns from the public and medical experts./PN
