ILOILO City – Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in this city are still on the rise and Mayor Jerry Treñas believes it’s not yet time to lift the metro’s modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) which will end on May 31.
Treñas said he is requesting the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 for the extension of the MECQ for another 15 days or until June 15.
“In view of the number of our COVID cases and the present situation of our health facilities, we are compelled to request the IATF to place the city under MECQ for another 15 days from June 1 to June 15, 2021,” said Treñas.
Data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) released yesterday showed that for the last seven days, the city logged 495 coronavirus infections or a daily average of 71 cases.
From May 1 to 27, the city recorded 1,306 new infections – 336.36 percent higher than the 289 cases recorded in same period in April.
Four barangays – Guzman Jesena (Mandurriao), Veterans Village (City Proper), Tabuc Suba (Jaro) and Bolilao (Mandurriao) – were placed on surgical lockdown starting 6 p.m. yesterday until May 31 for registering at least three and continuously increasing COVID-19 cases.
Guzman Jesena had 14 confirmed cases; Tabuc Suba recorded nine while Veterans Village and Bolilao had eight cases each.
Moreover, Treñas said, the city will extend the total ban on alcohol as well as the 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. curfew up to June 30.
With infections going up, Treñas also announced that the city will hire 44 nursing aides and 22 utility workers to be assigned to different hospitals here.
“I hope DOH (Department of Health) can look for the 90-plus nurses. We also need more beds dedicated to COVID,” Treñas said.
He added: “We asked the DOH to assist our hospitals so we can open 208 more beds.”
As of 12 noon yesterday, only four hospitals have COVID beds available namely The Medical City (5), Iloilo Mission Hospital (3), Seaman’s Hospital (4), and Western Visayas Medical Center (4) or a total of 16 COVID beds.
However, data also showed that there were 125 waitlisted patients, some of which were COVID positives and COVID suspects while others were non-COVID.
“We are hoping for their quick action on this matter,” Treñas said.
Meanwhile, Treñas also announced that the city needs more vaccinators, underboard nurses, caregivers, and nursing aides.
“Kapoy na gid sila but we all know may trabaho pa kita. Let us pray for all of them,” Treñas lamented.
On the other hand, following the call of Treñas that the city needs more vaccinators, some retired nurses in Iloilo City expressed (through Panay News) interest to help and volunteer.
Treñas said he welcomes the help of retired nurses, and those who would like to volunteer may coordinate with the City Health Office through Dr. Anabelle Tang and Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna./PN
