By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter)
LAOAG CITY—This city will revert to the less restrictive general
community quarantine (GCQ) starting Dec. 12, 2020 after a two-week reimposition
of a strict modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
"Things will normalize in Laoag and we will gradually go
back to our new normal,” he said as he reiterated that even if they remove
barricades and checkpoints in barangay and city borders, he reminded residents
not to be complacent as the threat of the COVID-19 is still here.
Of the 262 total confirmed cases in Laoag, as of press time, at
least 88 had recovered.
At present, there are 174 active cases but 101 of them are
persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Ilocos Norte provincial jail. All of
them did not show any symptoms of the disease and set to complete their 14-day
quarantine this week.
Meanwhile, the Laoag City health office announced that the free
expanded swab testing for Laoag residents is still ongoing. They are however
requested to fill out an online registration form, or call the CHO hotline
number 0939 5544123 and wait for their schedule.
The CHO added that the schedule shall depend on the exposure and
risk of the pre-registered individuals.
GCQ
Under the more
lenient GCQ, those 15 years old and below; 65 years old and above; persons with
comorbidities or other health risks; pregnant women; and those with members of
the family mentioned above are not still not allowed to go out of their homes.
They are only allowed to go out for work or if they live alone to obtain
essential needs and services.
The quarantine restriction also limits congregations in the city
to two persons.
Though barricades and border controls within barangays are no
longer in place, areas considered COVID-19 hot zones will still be barricaded.
Boundary checkpoints around the city, however will remain in
place. Persons passing through Laoag with no business in the city proper are
also advised to use the bypass road.
For those leaving for essential supplies and services, they no
longer need barangay pass slips.
For public transportation, tricycles and calesas are still
limited to one passenger only.
P10M isolation facility
Meanwhile, the
provincial government plans to put up a PHP10 million isolation facility at the
Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital (GRBASMH), or more popularly
known as provincial hospital.
Th rising infections in the province prompted local authorities
here to build an additional permanent isolation facility.
The PHP10 million will come from the national government as a
grant.
Dr. Medeldorf Gaoat, senior board member of the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan chair of the committee on health reported that the GRBASMH is
ready to host the two-story isolation facility with 20 beds capacity.
“Personnel from the provincial engineering office has already
inspected the site and the construction will commence at the soonest possible
time,” said Mr. Gaoat.
Backing this move, members of the provincial board unanimously
approved a resolution granting authority to Mr. Manotoc to enter into a
memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently approved a PHP30 billion aid
for local government units under Republic Act No. 11494, also known as “Bayanihan
to Recover as One Act”.
Local government units are expected to comply with all the
requirements such as securing a “permit to construct” before implementation.
In Laoag City, the city government of Laoag temporarily suspended
accepting returning residents as quarantine and isolation facilities have
already reached their maximum capacity due to COVID-19.
Aside from the provincial hospital, the Bangui District Hospital
will also have its own isolation facility to cater to more patients in the
first district of the province.
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