Mayor Gomez reiterates appeal to national agencies to swab test returnees before leaving for provinces

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June 8, 2020

TACLOBAN CITY- A returnee overseas worker is Ormoc City’s first coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) case.
This was confirmed by its city mayor, Richard Gomez, who issued his appeal to national government agencies to test all returnees before they would be allowed to return to their respective hometowns.
Gomez said that its first confirmed COVID-19 case is a 46-year old man who previously worked in Saudi Arabia but returned to Ormoc on May 27.
His swab results were part of the 90 samples released by the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center Testing Center on Friday.
Gomez, who confirmed their first COVID-19 case on Friday night, said that he was sad that the coronavirus has now entered the city which imposed one of the strictest quarantine measures in Eastern Visayas.
With this development, the actor-turned city mayor said that he would bar individuals coming from areas where there are COVID-19 cases to enter Ormoc and his people would also be prohibited to go to areas where there are also cases of coronavirus.
Gomez said that while he is accepting the fact that Ormoc has now its own COVID-19 case, he could not avoid expressing his disappointment.
He said that national agencies should have at least tested for COVID-19 those who wished to return to the provinces before they would be allowed to return home to ensure that the virus would not spread to the provinces so all the efforts of these local government units like Ormoc would not go to waste.
“When we close our borders here in Ormoc City, a lot of people did not feel good about it why we have to be strict. Because COVID-19 could easily infect. Sana, before papuntahin yung mga tao sa kanila-kanilang mga bayan, i-rapid test, i-swab test muna natin before they leave the plane, bago makasakay ng bus, (para) malaman na sila ay safe at hindi infected,” he said.
And if these people would turn to be positive, they should not be allowed to travel to avoid spreading the virus, the Ormoc City mayor said.
“We will be more strict in our borders. I am asking for the cooperation of the PNP.People coming from other COVID positive areas will not be allowed to enter Ormoc City and we will also bar people of Ormoc to be going out of the city,” he said.
Gomez reiterated his call for national agencies to coordinate with the local government units on this scheme. “We really need to cooperate, to coordinate,” he said.
“I am not happy on what happened but it could have been prevented if strict health protocols have been followed. But again, nandiyan na yan, so we have to deal with it,” he said.
Mayor Gomez said that the 46-year old man is now placed at their quarantine facility.
He asked his people to inform the city government to report any returnee coming to their villages saying he does not like to see Ormoc City having more COVID-19 cases.
Meantime, the regional office of the Department of Health confirmed the second COVID-19 case of Tacloban City.
John Paul Roca, information officer of the DOH-18, said that Tacloban’s second case involved a 31-year old woman who was stranded in Metro Manila when it was placed under lockdown last March.
“She is now confined in the city’s quarantine facility,” he said.
Tacloban City’s first COVID-19 patient involved a 29-year old woman who was also returning overseas worker.
Roca also said that the town of Isabel in Leyte province also recorded its first COVID-19 case involving a 39-year old overseas worker who was on board with Ormoc City’s first COVID-19 patient.
With three new cases, Eastern Visayas has now 51 COVID-19 patients.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

Borongan mayor asks public to always observe health protocols

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June 8, 2020

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Borongan MAyor — Borongan City Jose Ivan Dayan Agda says strict practice on the wearing of face mask and social distancing are key towards in making their city free from the coronavirus. Thus, he is appealing to his people to observe this health protocols. (City Information Office)

Borongan City Jose Ivan Dayan Agda says strict practice on the wearing of face mask and social distancing are key towards in making their city free from the coronavirus. Thus, he is appealing to his people to observe this health protocols. (City Information Office)

TACLOBAN CITY – Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda of Borongan City is determine to continue making his city COVID-19 free through strict implementation of health protocols and having information of residents who wanted to return to the city.
With the ballooning of COVID-19 cases in the region, Agda urged his people to be vigilant to make sure that Borongan will remain without any coronavirus case.
As of present, Borongan is the only two cities in the region without any COVID-19 case. The other one is Maasin City.
The city mayor calls on the public to always observe health protocols while going out of their houses and by wearing of face masks, observing physical distancing and remembering places they visited and people they meet when going out of their respective houses.
“Let wearing of face masks be part of our new normal,” Mayor Dayan said.
The city mayor also his people to inform the city government if they have relative who are planning to go back to their city.
“We shall maintain our city a COVID-19 free by being vigilant, particularly in spotting the location of returning individuals who opt to hide their presence and irresponsible acts just to get rid of having to stay in isolation facilities”, Mayor Agda said.
As of last week, there are a total of 40 individuals who are being monitored by the city government who are staying at their isolation facilities.
Upon finishing their quarantine period of 14-days, they shall be certified by the city health officers and proceed further for another 7-day home quarantine.
For those with relatives who wanted to go back to Borongan, their family members will have to inform the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Borongan is placed under Modified General Community Quarantine under Executive Order 006-0520 from June 1 to June 15 in compliance to the national mandate as recommended by the National Inter-Agency Task Force.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Alfred backs ‘Balik Probinsiya’ program

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June 8, 2020

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Amid calls to scrap it due to increase of COVID-19 cases

By: LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/ROEL T. AMAZONA

TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city said he welcomes residents of this city who are returning home under the ‘Balik Probinsiya’ program of the government, to include the overseas workers.
Romualdez said that these people should not be deprived of their right to return home despite some calls for them to remain where they currently stay amid the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic.
“They should not be barred from returning home. It is their constitutional right to return home. Will you not allow your loved ones to return home?” Romualdez said.
To recall, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez asked the national agencies to conduct swab samples to those who wish to return to the provinces to ensure that they are not carriers of the virus and would not cause any spread of the virus.
Ormoc City has posted its first COVID-19 case involving an overseas worker.
The COVID-19 cases of Eastern Visayas, particularly Leyte, saw an increase after several of those who returned home under the Balik Probinsiya program as well as the local overseas workers started returning.
In Leyte, which was among the first provinces of the country to implement the Balik Probinsya program, its COVID-19 now stand at 17 cases.
In Tacloban City, two of its COVID-19 cases involved returning overseas workers. Its first case, involving a 29- year old woman, was reported by the City Health Office to have recovered from the deadly ailment and has now returned to her home where she will undergo another 14-day quarantine as part of the health protocols.
Mayor Romualdez said that the government, to include the local government units, are doing their effort to ensure that the coronavirus would not further spread.
For one, he said, those who are returning home are immediately being quarantined to isolation facilities put up by the local government units.
The city government here has put up its own isolation center located at the northern part of the city which was originally built as an evacuation center.