Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has made an urgent and fervent appeal to concerned government agencies that this city’s quarantine status be de-escalated following a significant drop in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) not only in the metro but in neighboring provinces as well.
The metro has been placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions from October 1-31.
“While it cannot be discounted that Iloilo City is one of the critical epidemic areas being the urban hub and government center in Western Visayas, with the rigid enforcement of health and safety protocols paired with ramping up our vaccination program, the reclassification to a lower quarantine category is exigent for our economic recovery,” he said in his letter dated Oct. 12.
The letter was addressed to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who is also the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) Chief; Vaccine Czar and NTF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.; Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); and the National Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and to their regional counterparts in Western Visayas.
In his letter, the city mayor highlighted some significant indicators as reasons for the request, including the downtrend in daily confirmed cases, with 30 cases recorded on Oct. 11, and a drop in average daily attack rate (ADAR) from 29.68 percent to 17. 22 percent.
Further, the city has increased the capacities of its temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) by utilizing the 32-bed isolation facility constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) catering to mild and moderate cases.
He added that the proposed DPWH modular hospital is underway even as they are also discussing the establishment of additional two units of 22-bed capacity modular hospitals.
The city also engaged in a massive vaccination rollout. As of Oct.11, 63.3 percent of the 525,000 eligible population have availed of vaccination; 53. 21 percent of the total target are fully vaccinated.
“It is imperative for Iloilo City as a key economic sector to gradually ease on lockdowns to revive its crippled economy,” the mayor added.
He said that the quarantine status of the city ranging from the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to ECQ five months ago has severely crippled its economy. (PNA)
