Despite lower quarantine status, Oro mayor urges the public not to be complacent

DESPITE the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Diseases lowering the quarantine status of Cagayan de Oro, City Mayor Oscar Moreno urges the public not to be complacent.

The city will be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting August 16 until August 31, 2021, as announced by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. on Friday, August 13.

Moreno, during the daily press briefing on the same day, said that while the lowering of the quarantine status is relieving, it can also be a source of problem.

"That's quite relieving but it can also be a source of problem kay basin ang mga tao might begin to get complacent tungod sa relaxation," Moreno said.

"Mao nang I hope nga ang mga tao gyud ang mag set up sa depensa kontra sa virus. As we have said before nga dili ang quarantina ang mao makapaundang sa transmission sa virus but ang behavior sa katawhan," he added.

The city mayor further said that based on the risk assessment, Cagayan de Oro is supposed to remain under the ECQ quarantine classification as the city is still at high risk.

According to the data from FASSSTER Philippines, as of August 11, the average healthcare utilization rate of Cagayan de Oro was at 82.60 percent and its average daily attack rate was at 21.53.

"However, syempre nakasabot ang IATF nga dako ang epekto sa ekonomiya ug sa community. Syempre problema gyud na," Moreno said.

"Magpasalamat ta nga gi-reduce ang quarantine level but we cannot be complacent, dili ta magsalig nga tunod gi-lower na then we can relax. That's the point that I want to emphasize," he added.

Moreno said the IATF's decision to lower the Cagayan de Oro's quarantine status is a chance for the city's economy to move.

"Pero kung dili na mokanaog ang atong health care utilization rate, then mobalik gyud ta sa ECQ sa dili pa moabot ang Setyembre. Ang solution is to suppress the transmission of the virus," Moreno said.