BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Heightened health restrictions in the country’s capital won’t lead to another ECQ or MECQ as of now, the chief of the local inter-agency task force on COVID and emerging infectious diseases said.
Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran told DNX the new approach of the national task force is “granular” lockdowns.
This means only places in the National Capital Region will be locked down if there are rising confirmed cases, he said.
NIATF Resolution No. 102, Series of 2021, signed on March 11, 2021 by NIATF co-chair Karlo Alexis Nogales, specifies among others the observance of minimum health protocols.
It also stipulated the following quoted in full:
On the level of individuals:
a. Wearing of face masks and face shields appropriately;
b. Increasing the frequency in hand-washing for at at least twenty (20) seconds each time;
c. Ensuring the observance of social distancing and proper ventilation,
and reducing time of interaction, if any; and
d. Reinforcing correct information on COVID-19.
- On the level of establishments:
a. Implementing the following risk mitigation strategies:
i. Engineering controls;
ii. Ventilation; and
iii. Contact tracing.
Familiaran assured residents here the resolution does not immediately lead to the automatic raising of the quarantine level to the more restrictive enhanced level from the current modified general quarantine level that is still in effect.
He, however, said there will be a merging of task forces processing the travel of people.
These are the task forces on Returning Residents, Locally-Stranded Individuals, and Authorized Persons Outside of Residences, each chaired by a different councilor.
It is possible that only one group will be set up directly under the command of the Emergency Operations Center of City Hall headed by City Administrator Em Ang.
