by: Armie Gunay and Sam Fullante Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion already ordered through an advisory dated March 11, 2020, the cancellation of all scheduled ‘large events’ of the city government and its component barangays, due to local emergence in the country of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), particularly in the areas covered by the National Capital Region (NCR). On March 9, the Department of Education (DEPED)-Region V already issued Regional Memorandum No. 31, s. 2020, that orders the postponement of the 2020 Palarong Bicol supposedly scheduled on March 24-29, 2020, due to COVID-19 health-related concerns also. Public and private learning institutions, groups and organizations are also being highly encouraged by the city government to follow the same cancellation and postponement of their scheduled large gatherings and activities until such time that the advisory is lifted. The city’s Infection Prevention and Control Task Force (IPCTF), chaired by Legacion, issued said advisory that also directs necessary actions to be undertaken by event organizers should they wish to proceed with the conduct of gatherings or events in the city that are likely to attract 200 persons or more, to avoid further contracting of the virus. According to the advisory, event organizers should notify the city government at least one (1) week prior to the conduct of the event for risk assessment and monitoring purposes. Further, the advisory orders measures for 14-day self-quarantine of persons who recently traveled to countries affected by COVID-19, as they are automatically identified as persons under monitoring (PUM), as well as the corresponding penalties for failure to do so. Legacion convened on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, the IPCTF for an emergency meeting to discuss preventive measures on COVID-19 outbreak with the issuance last March 8, 2020, of the Presidential Proclamation No. 922, “Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency Throughout the Philippines”, after noted increasing case incidences of said virus in Metro Manila. The city’s IPCTF is created through Executive Order No. 2020-004, and first convened last February 1, 2020, following the DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-018 that regulates all Local Government Units (LGUs) to implement programs and to intensify the information education campaign against COVID-19. LGU-Naga has since been in full alert on impeding said health scare from entering the city through information dissemination campaigns on social media, local radio, and other means to ensure tight prevention and to instill health consciousness against COVID-19, all the while counteracting “fake news” about the virus that are spreading across social media. Legacion had also called upon local accommodation establishments and hotel owners through a meeting held last February 19, 2020, to impose increased hygiene practices and to enforce health ‘screening’ measures to clients and tourists who are checking-in in their establishments. Enlisting the help of the barangay unit leaders, the LGU mobilized the creation of Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) to further aid in implementing precautionary measures against COVID-19 in local communities within the city. On engaging the community, Legacion directed barangay officials to be “strict” and “alert” in closely monitoring members of the community, especially those who are displaying similar symptoms of the virus disease, and those who came from China and other identified Special Administrative Regions (SARs). Several symptoms of said disease include fever, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath. Incumbent head of the Infectious Disease Division and “point person” for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (EREID) of the Bicol Medical Center (BMC), Dr. Jose Manuel Rañola III stated that BMC, which will serve as the city’s referral center for COVID-19, is now equipped with personnel, equipment and facilities thus being “ready” should there be cases of the virus found in the city. Aside from enforcing these preventive protocol, the IPCTF requests full cooperation from everyone to make it a habit to sanitize, cleanse and disinfect, as well as to refrain from visiting crowded places and to work on increasing their own immunity to stay clear from the disease. from Naga Na!, Naga City Smiles to the World
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