March 11, 2020

The local government of Talisay heeds the call of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental to set aside a quarantine area for PUIs or persons under investigation undergoing close observations that shall determine if symptoms manifested are closely compatible with that of COVID-19.

In a regular meeting of the COVID-19 Talisay City Task Force, which was convened by Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares III immediately after a national health emergency was declared, it was explained that a quarantine area designated by each local government unit in the province preempts overcrowding of referred hospitals should COVID-19 cases escalate to unprecedented scale.

City Health Office Dr Joy Gladys Guanzon, vice chair of the COVID-19 Talisay City Task Force, likewise appealed that prospective quarantine areas should have the capacity as well for a holding area for health care workers from the city who will oversee the PUIs for the duration of the incubation period.

Discussions on the floor covered the necessity of procuring protective gears for health and utility workers foremost of which are the five (5) units of thermal scanners, masks, gloves, Vitamin C, etc.

The sourcing of funds does not pose a hurdle to these contingent measures but the lack or shortage of supply of masks is unless an emergency purchase becomes the last option.

Posting a thermal scan in highly accessible and frequented public places such as the city hall complex, selected government offices and churches is being considered.

Guanzon suggested that distribution of allowances and other related activities for senior citizens shall be staggered or scheduled in smaller groups as this age-group has widely been identified as highly-vulnerable to risk of COVID-19 infection.

Executive Assistant Farah Jayme stressed that there are more than eight thousand senior citizen beneficiaries in Talisay City and regular distribution of their allowance commence next week.

The task force sought the assistance of the Association of Barangay Captains represented by its president and incumbent Councilor Resty Tuvilla to enjoin the barangay officials to coordinate with the City Health Office if any resident or visiting individuals arrive in their areas coming from countries listed with high incidence of COVID-19 cases. The crucial role and pro-active cooperation of Barangay Health Workers and barangay officials may lower the difficulty level of “contact tracing” especially if home quarantine shall be imposed and religiously complied with by the barangays.

Legal assistance was likewise sought by the city’s task force on situations that may arise if any individual arrives in the locality coming from identified high-risk countries abroad and refuses to undergo home quarantine. Atty. Cheryl Marie Ledesma-Despi from the City Legal Office referred the task force to the recently declared State of Public Health Emergency throughout the country. Despi emphasized that such declaration enjoins all government agencies and local government units to mobilize the necessary resources at hand in order to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate response and measures to curtail the threat of COVID-19.