By Armando Fenequito Jr.
DAVAO CITY -- A member of the City Council here is pushing for the reactivation of the city’s Task Force on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (EREID) which was previously called the Ebola Task Force.
Committee on Health chairperson Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte (PNA)
In a statement released by the City Infromation Office on Tuesday evening, the city council’s Committee on Health chairperson Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte said this was due to the increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country.
Villafuerte said there was a need to re-activate the task force, and not wait for a local transmission to occur in Davao.
“We need to re-activate talaga. We should not wait na meron tayong local transmission dito sa Davao, before we act, because by that time, it would be too late kung diyan pa tayo mag po-procure ng mga gamit. (We need to re-activate. We should not wait a local transmission in Davao to happen because by that time it would be too late if we will procure materials)," she said.
Villafuerte said that while the CHO was already doing its work, the members of EREID Task Force are highly trained but needs retraining and some equipment.
“Kagabi pa lang, nagpadala na ng directives si Mayor Sara (Just last night Mayor Sara sent directives) in lieu of flag raising, we will clean our own surroundings, disinfect all offices, and make alcohol, hand sanitizers available," she said.
The councilor said she suggested to the mayor that each office should purchase a thermal infrared gun.
She said the people in the city need not to panic since they are assured that the city government under the leadership of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte is responding to Covid-19.
“We responded very early, VM (Vice Mayor) Baste (Duterte) called for an inter-agency, all the agencies were asked to report, anong ginagawa niyo? Nakita naman na lahat ng agencies nag report. Ako na ocular ko ang airport, so lahat naman ready. (...what they are doing, and all of these agencies reported. On my part, I did an ocular at the airport, so everyone is ready),” she said.