Northern Samar provincial board passes ordinance barring unvaxxed to go out homes except for essential or health reasons
TACLOBAN CITY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Northern Samar has approved on third and final reading an ordinance that restricts the movements of unvaccinated individuals in the province.
The measure is part of the response of the provincial government amid increasing cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Northern Samar.
The ordinance, which was approved last January 21 regular session of the provincial board, prohibits all unvaccinated individuals from leaving their houses except when accessing for essential goods or accessing medical and health services.
Unvaccinated individuals are also prohibited from going to restaurants, hotels, malls, sports event venues, gyms, and other commercial establishments.
Employees who are unvaccinated will have to present a negative RT-PCR every two weeks before they are allowed to return or report to their work.
The ordinance also encourages all establishments and offices in the province to display a “no vaccination card, no entry,” signage.
The ordinance will take it effectively once the Provincial Legal Office and the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force and the Office of SP Secretary craft the implementing rules and regulation (IRR), and publication in general circulation.
Northern Samar is the first local government unit in Eastern Visayas that creates a local law imposing restrictions on movements of unvaccinated individuals.
Prior to the approval of the enactment of this ordinance, Governor Edwin Ongchuan had issued a local executive order restricting movements of unvaccinated individuals.
The order covers not only access to private and public establishments but also prohibits unvaccinated residents from using public transport
Based on the data from the Department of Health, Northern Samar is on the bottom in vaccination status at 284,877 individuals 60.2% who had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines while 214, 105 or 45.3% are fully vaccinated.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Mayor Romualdez urged newly-vaccinated Taclobanons to rest as a way to build antibodies against COVID-19
TACLOBAN CITY- “Take a rest after getting the COVID-19 shot.”
Thus said Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez as he reminded Taclobanons during a press briefing held on January 20, at the City Hall as cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the city continue to increase.
He further asked help from the media to use their platform in conveying the message to the people about the importance of taking a rest for five to seven days after getting the vaccine, may it be the first dose, second dose, or booster shot.
“Rest. Give your body time to recognize the vaccine and build up antibodies,” he said, pointing out how the immune system drops after getting the shot which gives one a greater chance to contract a virus especially that it is still flu season.
Seeing the trend of transmission happening inside the homes, Mayor Romualdez emphasized the need to check on each family member.
“This is the time that family members look out for each other. It’s about time to pay attention sa iyong kapatid. Pay attention to your mom, to your dad. Magtulungan kayo dito. Hindi ninyo pwedeng pabayaan ang isa’t-isa, “ the mayor said.
“I don’t want to do drastic measures in locking down the city. Malayo pa tayo d’yan, pero baka umabot tayo d’yan kung hindi tayo mag-iingat,” Mayor Romualdez added.
With 60 new cases reported on Monday (Jan.24) by the Department of Health (DOH)-EV, Tacloban City has currently 697 active COVID-19 cases.
However, with the 5-11 years old kids included in the population to be vaccinated starting February, the city government is hopeful for a much stronger immunity in the community.
Meanwhile, let us remain vigilant and observant of the minimum health protocols. Wearing of facemask, maintaining physical distance, and keeping the immune system strong are still the basic practices to do, especially now that Covid-19 has become highly transmissible.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
DOH: More areas in EV to be placed under Alert Level 4
As N. Samar to appeal its Alert Level 4 classification
TACLOBAN CITY- A health official of the region has raised an alarm that more areas in the region could be placed under Alert Level 4, the second-highest COVID-19 alert level system due to their increasing hospital bed utilization.
Presently, the province of Northern Samar was classified under Alert Level 4 though this was objected by its provincial health official saying their current condition does not fit the metrics for such classification.
Dr. Marc Steven Capungcol, chief of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health(DOH), said that among the areas in the region that are likely to be placed under Alert Level 4 are Biliran, and the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc.
These areas, based on the data of the DOH, are experiencing high hospital bed utilization, among the conditions set for an area to be classified under Alert Level 4.
Based on the bulletin issued by the DOH on Monday (Jan.24), Biliran province has the highest hospital bed utilization at 82.93%, followed by Ormoc City at 79.66% and Tacloban City at 78.65%.
Meantime, Leyte’s hospital bed utilization rate is at 63.94%, Samar with 56.59%, Southern Leyte at 47.71%, and Eastern Samar at 25.24%.
Eastern Visayas, at present, has hospital bed utilization at 59.79 percent or at medium risk.
According to Capungcol, the increase in the hospitalization bed rate in these areas are due mainly to the confinement of asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19.
“Based on the data, there are many hospitals from these provinces that are still admitting asymptomatic and mild cases,” he said.
And for this situation to be corrected, Capungcol urged the local government units to ask their COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or considered as mild cases to just isolate them at their isolation facilities and not brought them to hospitals.
Based on the DOH records, of the region’s 4,004 active COVID-19 cases, 69.11% of them are classified as asymptomatic,30.69% as mild, 0.25% as severe and zero as critical.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez earlier made an appeal to his fellow local chief executives to manage their asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at their respective localities to avoid crowding of hospitals of the city.
Romualdez said that only severe and critical cases should be sent to hospitals in the city for medical and health care.
Meantime, Dr.Ninfa Kam, health officer of Northern Samar, said that they will be appealing to the IATF to change the classification of Northern Samar to just Alert Level 3 just like the rest of the region.
For one, she said, their hospital bed utilization rate has not yet reached to 85 to 100 utilization but is just around 36 percent, which is even considered as ‘low risk.’
She also added that their daily attack rate of COVID-19 is just 3.25 percent, which is even lower compared to Leyte’s 7.28 percent.
“We were surprised why Northern Samar was classified under Alert Level 4. That is why, the provincial inter-agency task force will ask for consideration to reclassify us to just Alert Level 3 just like the rest of the region,” Kam said in a radio interview.
She said that the data submitted to the regional DOH from their encoders could have resulted in the placing of Northern Samar under Alert Level 4.
PNP condemns shooting of an intel cop in Northern Samar
(Photo courtesy of Danny Balading)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has condemned the fatal shooting of an intelligence police officer in Catubig, Northern Samar on January 10.
The Police Regional Office 8 (Eastern Visayas) here said the “treacherous” attack against Staff Sgt. Joerel Pajac was a clear violation of human rights.
“We call on witnesses to the incident to cooperate with our police to identify the attackers so that justice will be served,” the PNP said in a statement issued on Tuesday night.
Pajac, 39, a resident of Calingnan village in Catubig town, was assigned to the Northern Samar Police Intelligence Unit.
He was about to disembark from a motorboat when four armed men suddenly appeared and shot him.
The unarmed victim jumped into the water but the gunmen continued shooting at him before fleeing towards San Francisco village.
The victim’s body was recovered floating on the river after more than an hour.
Catubig, a third-class town in Northern Samar, is about 311 km. north from Tacloban, the regional capital.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)