By Freddie Lazaro
VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – The daily attractive dancing fountain shows and upcoming big events in this province have been ordered suspended due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) scare, according to Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson.
Singson said that, starting March 10, the daily operation of the dancing fountain will temporarily suspended for the health safety of the residents, visitors and tourists.
In view of President Duterte’s declaration of a state of public health emergency and the Department of Health (DOH) raising its alert to Code Red, Sub-Level I, Singson said the members of the provincial inter-agency task force (IATF) for the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases agreed to cancel all upcoming big events in the province.
“The provincial government has to show an example. I am unhappy to announce this but we have to do it to protect the people of Ilocos Sur. All the upcoming events or for the agencies who are requesting for the provincial government to host their events that gather large crowd, I’m sorry to say but we have to cancel them,” he said.
Singson said the scheduled opening this month of the Bicentennial Park and the Food Bazaar in the province were also cancelled.
“We need to sacrifice for a while until the threat of COVID -19 ends, and let us help each other,” he added.
During the meeting of the provincial task force, Singson said that the following preventive measures were agreed upon, such as the purchase by the provincial government of equipment, sanitizers, and supplies needed to contain the possible spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the provincial health office had its team conduct a 30-minute basic lecture/workshop on proper hand washing, proper cough etiquette, and other gentle reminders on how to prevent the spread of the virus in all schools in the province.
Singson said that it was also reported by the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital-Gabriela Silang Medical Center during the meeting that the three patients under investigation (PUIs) in the province tested negative for the coronavirus.
Singson added that, as of Tuesday, the province of Ilocos Sur remained COVID-19 free.