The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has provided three options that persons with close contact to people with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) could do.
First, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said they could submit themselves to swab tests. The problem, however, is that in most cases, they have to pay at least P2,500 for the swab test. Some local government units, however, are offering free swab test to their constituents,
The other option is to under go self-quarantine for 14 days.
However, there are some rules that have to be met before self-quarantine is allowed. One of them is that the house should have a room with own comfort room. Self-quarantine is also not advisable in depressed areas.
In a briefing with President Duterte, Año urged the public never to violate this citing that it is a way to prevent the transmission of the virus and totally end the pandemic in the country.
“Kaya kailangan po (testing). Pinapakiusapan natin ang ating mga kababayan, kung kayo po ay close contact or exposed (COVID-19 positive person) kailangan po tayong magpa-test (That is why it is necessary. We are appealing to the public in the event that you are in close contact or exposed you need to be tested),’’ Año said.
Año warned that uncooperative persons would be forced to face option number three: Pay fines of up to P50,000 or imprisonment of up to six months as stated in Section 9 Paragraph E of Republic Act (RA) 11332.
“Kaya po tayo nag-conduct ng granular lockdown para po talaga hanapin natin ang mga (COVID-19) positive at ma-isolate natin sila (That is why we are conducting granular lockdown to look for the positive individuals and have them isolated),’’ he added.
In the cash aid (ayuda) distribution to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) recipients, Año noted that Laguna has given P2.69 billion to 1.69 million beneficiaries for a 99.08 payout rate.
“So makikita po natin dito tatlong LGUs (local government units) na lang ang hindi nakakatapos (ayuda distribution) at sa linggong ito ay sisiguraduhin natin na matatapos na ang buong Laguna ang buong probinsiya ng Laguna (So we can see that only three LGUs have not completed and this week this will be finished in the whole Laguna, whole province of Laguna),’’ he noted.
For Bataan, Año reported that 80.33 percent of the financial assistance has been dispensed to 560,901 recipients for a distribution rate of 80.33.
“So muli po ay papaspasan natin ang pagbibigay ng ayuda dito sa probinsiya ng Bataan (Again we will expedite the ayuda distribution in Bataan),’’ the DILG chief assured. (Chito A. Chavez)