By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
Authorities are racing against time to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Quezon City through implementing stricter measures on Thursday as the number of its cases continues to rise despite the enhanced community quarantine that has been imposed on mainland Luzon.
Starting 6 a.m., the Quezon City Police District have deployed more personnel to put barriers, conduct checkpoints, and man the streets outside hospitals with COVID-19 patients to avoid the unnecessary entry of people.
These hospitals include the Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, East Avenue Medical Center, and Veterans Memorial Medical Center, among others.
Uniformed personnel are also restricting the movements of people, including only allowing the "essential" health workers to enter, on E. Rodriguez Ave. near St. Lukes Medical Center, and from BIR Road to Elliptical Road and East Ave.
"Yung treatment natin sa hospital (Out treatment in the hospitals), we call it a facility quarantine. We're not forbidding them to go in or out of the hospital, but what we're trying to do here is to make sure na 'yung papasok sa facility na 'to ay 'yung mga taong nagtatrabaho doon (that those who enter the facility are only its workers)," Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Mike Marasigan said in a press conference.
"Kaya meron tayong sinasabi na kung dadalaw ka, isa lang 'yung dadalaw. Para makapigil tayo sa pag-transmit na pwede nating makuha," he added. (So we're suggesting one visitor per patient only, so we can prevent people from transmitting the virus that they might pick up.)
Several public markets have also imposed curfew hours and are only limiting those who are buying provisions.
"Oras ng Palengke : Umaga - 8 to 10 a.m. Hapon - 3 to 5 p.m. Age: 18 - above. 1 Person allowed. Please bring valid ID," a sign printed on a white bond paper attached to a post in Barangay San Isidro read.
Along the 12-kilometer Commonwealth Ave., the widest highway in the Philippines, members of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are flagging down motorcycles with two passengers. This is in compliance with an advisory from the Transport Department and the practice of "social distancing."
Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday afternoon placed two of its barangays — Bgy. Tandang Sora and Bgy. Kalusugan — under "extreme enhanced community quarantine" after reporting three confirmed COVID-19 cases each. This means, there will be more police visibility in the area and stricter measures will be implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19.
As of Thursday morning, 31 out of the country's 202 COVID-19 cases are recorded in Quezon City.
Out of 142 barangays, the ones that have recorded COVID-19 cases are: Project 6, San Antonio, Del Monte, Maharlika, San Isidro Labrador, Bagong Silangan, Socorro, E. Rodriguez, Matandang Balara, Ugong Norte, White Plain, Marilag, South Triangle, Paligsahan, Valencia, Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Kalusugan, Doña Imelda, Pasong Putik, Bagbag, Tandang Sora, and Pasong Tamo.
"We have decided to use strict community quarantine after meeting with the QCPD and other concerned agencies and offices," Belmonte said following her announcement.
"This way, we will help prevent the spread of the virus to nearby areas and keep other parts of the community safe."
Also on Thursday morning, police have cordoned off at least 29 residences where COVID-19 patients live. They are called "hot zones."
One photo on social media shows a police line set up in Bgy. Kalusugan, with barangay officials and police officers manning the area.
According to QCPD Director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, people living inside these "hot zones" are not allowed to go out for a period of time, and only authorized personnel will take charge of their provisions.
On the other hand, the movement of residents living within the "warm zones" or those living within the 500-meter radius of "hot zones" are also limited.
"Under monitoring din po ang mga persons doon. 'Pag lumabas sila, 'yung allowed lang per family, isa. Iche-check sila sa thermal scanner tapos pagbalik, ganoon din. So di sila basta-basta pwede makalabas," Montejo said. (People there are also under monitoring. Only one person per family is allowed to go outside. They will undergo thermal scanning when they go out and return. They cannot just go outside easily.)
Justin Del Rosario, a resident of William St. in Barangay Tandang Sora, said that their place is eerily silent as if it is a "ghost town." Some eight uniformed personnel are also guarding the area.
"May police mobile at tent na nakabantay sa daanan. May police line din. Tapos kapag dadaan ka, tatanungin ka ," he told the Manila Bulletin.
"Wala talagang dumadaan. Kung may dumaan, kotse lang o isang tao lang ," he added, saying most of the people he sees are wearing face masks.
As part of its strengthened efforts, the local government has beefed up its call center hotline for those asking COVID-19 queries.
It has already coordinated with several hotels that will serve as temporary accommodation for COVID-19 front liners.
Quezon City is the first city in Metro Manila to declare a state of calamity to allow its barangays access their Quick Response Fund to be used in their fight against COVID-19.
READ MORE: Entire Luzon under quarantine