By Malu Cadelina Manar
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Health experts and authorities implemented here, Monday, a community quarantine, a few days after President Duterte declared a state of national health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
City Information Officer Jose Paolo Evangelista said that the local government has also subjected all the tricycles plying the city and barangay roads to mandatory disnfection.
“There are at least four areas along the city streets where tricycles are ordered to stop for disinfection,” he said.
Daily disinfection is also being done at the Overland Terminal, public market, and other public places in the city, he added.
Evangelista explained they have to strictly implement the community quarantine to ensure public safety and to prevent spread of the virus.
Data from the City Health Office (CHO) showed that there were at least 60 persons under the monitoring (PUMs) by health personnel.
These persons, according to reports, have travel history from Metro Manila and from countries where there are confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Evangelista admitted that among the PUMs was his father Mayor Joseph Evangelista, who attended the Mayors’ League of the Philippines’ convention held recently in Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eva Rabaya of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) clarified that Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco has just completed her mandatory self-quarantine after her recent travels to the National Capital Region.
On Monday, the governor issued Executive Order 2020-016 where she placed the whole province under modified community quarantine.
Catamco has also called on her constituents to be extra cautious in dealing with friends, relatives, and those they meet every day to impose social distancing or at least a meter apart from each other.
Also, the city and the provincial capitol have adopted a four-day workweek schedule as part of the pre-emptive measures to fight Covid-19.
This, according to Evangelista, was based on a memorandum circular issued by the Civil Service Commission.
This work schedule, he explained, will continue for one month.
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