DAVAO CITY — Over 30,000 individuals from at least 35 barangays which register high cases of Coronavirus-19 will undergo mass RT-PCR test or swab test in the city soon to prevent further escalation of Coronavirus disease, says City health Officer Dr. Josephine Villafuerte.
Villafuerte in an interview with Newsline.ph revealed, “We are now having series of meetings to undertake the mass testing involving over 30,000 persons from over 35 barangays especially in areas which register high Covid-19 cases”.
“The city will do this so prevent the escalation,” Villafuerte added.
The city, according to Villafuerte, has enough swab test kits for the purpose.
On Monday, November 23, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio revealed the city is Implementing a lockdown in the 35 barangays of Davao City with the highest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive cases but it will depend on the recommendation of the Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic (CODE) team that is set to arrive to assist in the city’s COVID-19 response activities,
This, as the city has been placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) effective November 19 to 30.
Duterte-Carpio said the Davao City Task Force COVID-19 did not tackle anything about enforcing any lockdown in these high-risk barangays.
“Walay diskusyon nga ingon ana. It may be different sa direction sa CODE team so we will just wait sa CODE team in-charge kung magdecide sila na mag ECQ sa barangay or zone lockdown sa mga identified barangays who contributed 80 percent of the cases in Davao City (There were no discussions about that. It may be different with the CODE team’s direction so we will just wait should they decide to have a barangay ECQ or zone lockdown in identified barangays that contributed to the 80 percent of the COVID-19 positive cases in Davao City),” the mayor said.
As of November 16, 2020, barangays Buhangin Poblacion, Barangay 19-B, Talomo Poblacion, Agdao, Bucana, Toril Poblacion, Matina Crossing, Ma-a, Matina Aplaya, Cabantian, Catalunan Grande, Sasa, Panacan, 21-C, Pampanga, Daliao, Calinan Poblacion, 5-A, Bago Aplaya, 27-C, Centro San Juan, Tugbok Poblacion, Leon Garcia Sr., 32-D, 9-A, Baliok, 20-B, Tibungco, Bunawan, Lizada, Tigatto, 28-C, 7-A, and Indangan have the highest new cases among the city’s 182 barangays.
Duterte also said that the city government of Davao is ready to work with the CODE team that will be sent by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. She also added that the city will also work with them as regards resources and funding.
The mayor said that the IATF Resolution No. 84 Section A might serve as a guide for the CODE team, which will be headed by Melquiades Feliciano, the National Task Force (NTF) deputy chief implementer for the cities of Bacolod and Cebu, in helping address the rising COVID-19 cases in Davao City.
Aside from placing Davao City under GCQ and deploying the CODE team to the city, the IATF Resolution No. 84 Section A also provides:
” that effort shall be made to address the acute shortage of nurses in health facilities;
address the high critical care utilization rate;
private hospitals are mandated to increase their ward bed occupancy by at least 20 percent to 30 percent;
establish a One-Hospital-Command to ensure an efficient referral system;
additional provisions of high-flow oxygen cannulae, Favipiravir (Avigan), Remdesivir, medical equipment, among others, shall be provided for as necessary;
accommodation establishments shall be tapped to serve as quarantine facilities for health workers, as well as for the isolation of COVID-19 positive cases;
and law enforcement agencies are directed to assist in the enforcement of granular lockdowns upon affected communities or clusters, and if necessary, deploy additional personnel in the locality”.
Granular lockdown/hard lockdown
Villafuerte said, to ensure that movement is constrained, a granular lockdown is also considered, which means, in barangays, streets, purok, or subdivisions which registered high cases, there will be a lockdown.
“The granular or hard lockdown will only affect specific areas and not the whole city,” she explained.-
Villafuerte however emphasized, “We need everyone’s support and cooperation, follow health protocol if hindi necessary Stay at Home, para hindi na magtagal ang lockdown.”- Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
