City Hall, Province take new measures vs Covid-19

SunStar File
SunStar File

PROVIDING alcohol and hand sanitizers in offices and converting a government center into another quarantine facility.

These are among the measures being undertaken by the provincial and city government units as they continue to prepare Cebu for the dreaded coronavirus disease (Covid-19) that has now killed more than 2,000 people, all but six of them in mainland China.

The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has passed a resolution urging business establishments to provide rubbing alcohol with 70 percent solution and hand sanitizers within their premises.

Establishments are also advised to regularly disinfect their equipment, facilities, food carts and other receptacles for public use to prevent the spread of the Covid-19.

The approved measure was filed by fourth district PB Member Kerrie Keanne Shimura, head of the PB committee on public health, on Feb. 17, 2020.

At City Hall, officials agreed to convert the Cebu City Resources Management and Development Center (Cremdec) in Barangay Taptap into a quarantine facility.

Mayor Edgardo Labella, City Health Office (CHO) head Daisy Villa and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Office (CDRRMO) team will check on the center on Friday, Feb. 21.

Villa, in a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 19, said the quarantine facility can house up to 200 persons being monitored for possible infection.

Villa said the place will be “conducive” to their recovery as it is located in a mountain barangay and has clean, fresh air.

One week after the Cebu City Council approved the P15 million budget for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to be used by health responders, Villa said the CHO and CDRRMO have purchased the needed medicine and equipment such as N95 masks, protective suits and disinfectants.

These will be given to the CHO, CDRRMO and the Cebu City Medical Center, she said.

The P15 million budget was enough for the purchase of the equipment but, she said, there is still a need to train health responders.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama earlier said the CHO and CDRRMO may ask for a supplemental budget from the City Council if funds are not enough to prepare the City for the Covid-19.

Meanwhile, a person being monitored for possible infection was released on Wednesday, Feb. 19, after two weeks in a quarantine facility.

Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Cristina Giango said this person was among the first batch of Filipinos and permanent resident visa holders who arrived in Cebu from Hong Kong last Feb. 5.

The person was released from the Cebu Provincial Women and Children Development Center in Barangay Lahug.

“Right now, we have 15 (persons being monitored) in the facility. Three of them came from (Project New Life in) Pinamungajan town,” Giango said in Cebuano Wednesday.

Giango said three other persons who arrived Tuesday are on home quarantine for 14 days. They are from Danao City and the towns of Alcoy and Consolacion in Cebu.

The Philippines has three confirmed cases of the Covid-19. There were 456 who were tested but showed negative results, while 35 are still awaiting their test results. (RTF, JJL)

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