Pine city bars visitors from areas under stricter quarantine
By Nidz Godino
”Every time we reopen our economy via tourism when cases are relatively low, we expect a spike in cases,” Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said city is not totally shutting its doors to tourists amid increase in Delta variant of COVID-19 infection.
Magalong clarified only visitors from areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions, enhanced community quarantine and modified ECQ are barred in the city.
Magalong said stricter border control would be implemented, noting that at least 60 cases have been recorded in the city since three weeks ago.
He said certain testing guidelines for tourists coming from GCQ and modified GCQ are in place.
Bulacan has recorded its first case of the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19.
Quoting provincial task force on COVID-19 response cluster head Hjordis Marushka Celis, Gov. Daniel Fernando reported patient is from San Ildefonso town.
Fernando directed the task force to intensify implementation of Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate strategy to prevent spread of virus.
Celis said possible surge in cases could be managed if they focus on ensuring healthcare system is prepared regardless of community quarantine classification.
She called for the implementation of the accordion policy to prepare for a spike in cases. This means hospitals should convert regular beds to intensive care units to help manage cases and ensure there would be enough beds for critical and severe cases.
The provincial health office recorded 170 cases, bringing active infections to 1,297.
As of July 24, 150,073 residents had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while 335,153 received their first dose.
In Ilocos Sur, Gov. Ryan Luis Singson reported local transmission of the Alpha and Beta variants of COVID-19 in the province.
Singson said six Alpha cases were recorded in Vigan City, two in Cabugao and one in Sta. Cruz. Three Beta cases were recorded in Cabugao and two in Vigan.
“The confirmation of COVID-19 variants in Ilocos Sur by the Department Of Health should be taken seriously,” Singson said.
Ilocos Sur had logged 792 active cases.
The Manila city government is preparing for a possible hard lockdown amid threat of Delta variant of COVID-19, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna said.
Lacuna said Mayor Isko Moreno met with city hall officials and hospital directors to prepare for probable surge in Delta variant cases.
Lacuna said Moreno issued a memorandum directing barangay authorities to prepare for enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region.
In a July 28 memorandum, the Manila barangay bureau ordered local officials to prepare issuance of quarantine passes.
“The memo is just for a possible lockdown…the mayor’s instruction was for the city government to always be ready,” Lacuna said.
There were 651 active COVID cases in Manila, up from 642 cases.
The city government is preparing for a lockdown after the Metro Manila Council expressed readiness to enforce two-week stricter community quarantine as long as financial assistance is provided to affected residents.
In Marikina City, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro asked national government for more vaccines to boost the city’s inoculation drive.
With the new modifications to the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila, Teodoro said the local government would be exhausting all measures and resources to implement stricter health protocols.
“Key to this is more vaccine supplies,” he said “we implore the national government to deploy additional vaccines to Marikina so we can inoculate as many people as possible.”
Metro Manila will remain under GCQ with heightened restrictions until Aug. 15
The entire province of Ilocos Norte will be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 1 to 14.
Gov. Matthew Manotoc has announced stricter quarantine status was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Earlier , Manotoc issued executive order providing interim MECQ guidelines to be implemented.
“There must be an immediate implementation of proactive measures and restrictions must be put in place to slow down surge in COVID-19 cases, stop further spread and buy time for health system to cope and protect lives,” the EO read.
Manotoc cited average daily attack rate and two-week growth rate of COVID-19 cases in the province for the shift to MECQ.
He said movement of people would be regulated while the province is under MECQ even as he reminded residents to strictly observe minimum health protocols.
Ilocos Norte had recorded 297 new cases, bringing the total active infections to 2,718.
The provincial government had earlier confirmed that a resident of Bacarra town has been infected with Delta variant of COVID-19.
Two cases of the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 have been recorded in Pampanga.
This was revealed during a committee hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, citing records from Department of Health (DOH)-Central Luzon office.
One of the patients is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who returned from Middle East.
The OFW, who reportedly went home is waiting for the result of another swab test.
Early this week, the municipal government of Mexico announced that an 18-year-old resident was infected with Delta variant.
The patient has been on quarantine in Metro Manila since June 20.
The DOH has recorded more than 60 cases of the Delta variant across the country.
Pampanga recorded total active cases in the province is now 2,042.
Meanwhile, a policeman assigned in Quezon province has died of COVID-19 two days after he took a swab test.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the 40-year-old member of the Quezon Provincial Mobile Force Company in
Gumaca, who was not vaccinated against COVID-19 vaccine, died due to severe pneumonia at the Alabat Island District Hospital.
A total of 81 PNP personnel have succumbed to the virus since last year, 51 of them since January.
The PNP recorded 917 active cases after PNP members tested positive for the virus.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar urged police officers to take extra precautions after the government announced the local transmission of Delta variant.
At least 30,010 PNP personnel have been infected since last year, of whom 29,012 or 96.67 percent have recovered.
Eleazar said 33,711 PNP members are now fully vaccinated while 47,888 have received their first dose.
In Aklan, residents who work in Boracay will now be required to present negative antigen test.
Acting Mayor Frolibar Bautista of Malay said he would issue an executive order on the antigen test requirement to be effective immediately.
On the other hand, workers in Boracay who reside outside Aklan will be required to present negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test result.
Bautista noted that a number of those who recently contracted the virus were returning workers.
Aklan logged the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas in the past few weeks.
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