THE implementation of the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental has somehow induced a mass exodus of people who travel to either report to work or to purchase their basic necessities.
Public and private bus terminals and public utility jeepneys were jam-packed with people who are rushing for their timeline or to get a seat in a bus or jeepney apparently unmindful of their sole responsibility to observe and practice social distancing, wearing of face mask or washing their hands before taking a ride.
Who gets alarmed by these realities? First, those in the medical frontlines, the local government officials and the citizens who have invested their time to stay home for more than two months.
Jeandrah Lou Amante-Cañet, registered nurse who works in a public hospital in the province, asked the people to be extra cautious.
“Please be safe for your family and for us frontliners,” she said.
She added they too have sacrificed their own safety to take care of the sick and those who have symptoms of the coronavirus disease.
The ordeal of using the personal protective equipment (PPE) for a long time, the stresses that they endured each day as they go to work at the hospital and before they go home, they even have to take a bath at the hospital and then when they arrived at their homes, they take another bath just to make sure their families are safe and protected from possible infection.
Since Covid-19 crash landed in the country and the province, she had to keep herself from hugging her baby when she gets home.
This is the reason why she is asking everyone to be conscious of their own protection so as not to overwhelm the health sector of possible mass infection.
Another Bacolodnon, Teresa Siason, also expressed concern about the exodus of people. “It is scarier now than those times under the enhanced community quarantine,” she said.
Monica Estrella has mixed reaction on the issue. On one hand, she could hardly imagine how difficult it is to the medical frontliners now that the people started to go out while on the other hand, she is happy that they are back under the sun again.
Brigitte Gomez said she still stays at home despite the loose regulation of the movement of people.
Erwin Delilan for his part is happy that he can go outdoor and have time to meditate and thank the Lord for all the blessings He had showered him and his family.