Other LGUs impose same policy amid EV’s soaring COVID-19 case
TACLOBAN CITY- As this regional capital of Eastern Visayas now under Alert Level 3 beginning Friday (Jan.14), its cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to soar in huge numbers.
On Friday, the city logged 128 new cases, a record for the city since the pandemic started in 2020.
Its total cases are now at 453, a figure covering just of the current month.
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, in a move to address the soaring number of COVID-19 cases of the city, issued an executive order on Thursday, which among others, prohibits unvaccinated individuals to enter any commercial or business establishments.
The same Executive Order 2022-01-001 issued by Romualdez, non-residents of the city who are planning to enter Tacloban but are not fully vaccinated need to present either a negative RT-PCR test administered within 72 hours or a negative antigen test administered within 24 hours to their arrival to the city.
The same directive of the city mayor has formalized the use of the vaccination card as a pass for one to enter government offices and commercial establishments.
It also encourages government offices to adopt a work-from-home or other flexible working arrangement.
Mayor Romualdez issued his appeal for still unvaccinated Taclobanons to get their shots not only to have a ‘defense’ against the deadly virus but also for them to enter establishments and even government offices.
“This is the new normal,” he said, referring to the vaccination need.
He also welcomed non-residents but are working in the city to have themselves vaccinated in Tacloban.
As of Thursday,172,157 city residents have received their first dose of which 150,863 of them are now considered as fully vaccinated or for having received their second shots.
Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, city health officer, said that while cases of COVID-19 in Tacloban is on the uptick, they have not monitored any severe or critical condition.
This could be attributed to the high vaccination rate in the city, she said, adding that almost all of the COVID-19 patients of the city are at their homes for isolation.
“And beginning on Monday, our vaccination campaign will be extended up to seven pm as directed by the city mayor to ensure more people will avail of our vaccination campaign,” Fabrigas said.
In Tabango town, Leyte, priests who are not based in the town but either to officiate or to attend mass relative to the town fiesta on Saturday are also required to present their vaccination cards before they will be allowed entry to the municipality proper.
In Catbalogan City, an executive order issued by Mayor Dexter Uy, directed, among others, that all employees, regardless of their status, are to be fully vaccinated. Otherwise, they have to undergo RT-PCR test or every two weeks at their own expense.
In Borongan City, Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda has ordered that unvaccinated persons are to stay at their homes ‘at all times’ save for medical emergencies purposes.
In Northern Samar, the outpatient department of its provincial hospital was temporarily closed beginning on Thursday due to the number of health workers getting the infection and the surge of patients admitted due to COVID-19.
On Friday, Eastern Visayas also logged its highest single-day cases since the pandemic started for more than two years now.
The Department of Health reported of 450 new cases, bringing the region’s total active cases of COVID-19 to 1,771.
All six provinces of the region have registered new cases with Leyte, which includes Tacloban City, having the highest with 291 cases followed by Northern Samar with 68; Samar, 52; Eastern Samar,32; Southern Leyte, 5; and Biliran, 2. (with report ROEL T. AMAZONA
