Risks in new ECQ pass setup raised
There are health risks involved in the current setup in Cebu City wherein a quarantine pass, which would allow a resident to go out to get essential items, will have to be shared by several people.
The city has cancelled 250,000 passes on June 23, 2020 upon instructions of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and decided to limit the new passes to about 178,000 for a “One ECQ pass, One household” scheme to limit the number of people going out.
Cebu City has at least 1 million residents.
Doctors who spoke with The FREEMAN said it is certainly a risk when one will be forced to meet others just to borrow a pass, for example, neighbors in a compound or a condominium building who have to share only one quarantine pass.
While the virus is transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, it can also be passed on when a person touches a contaminated surface and then touches his or her face, particularly the mouth, eyes, and nose.
“Droplet transmission occurs when a person is in in close contact (within 1m) with someone who has respiratory symptoms (e.g., coughing or sneezing) and is therefore at risk of having his/her mucosae (mouth and nose) or conjunctiva (eyes) exposed to potentially infective respiratory droplets. Transmission may also occur through fomites in the immediate environment around the infected person. Therefore, transmission of the COVID-19 virus can occur by direct contact with infected people and indirect contact with surfaces in the immediate environment or with objects used on the infected person,” said World Health Organization (WHO) said.
The Lancet study, though, said that “no viable” virus can be found on printing paper or tissue paper after three hours, albeit it can last for up to four days or more on plastic.
To avoid the risks, the doctors advised that Cebu City residents follow health protocols strictly, including wearing of mask and washing of hands frequently.
Last Friday, the city started distributing the passes with quick response (QR) codes.
RAPS VS FAKE PASS
Meanwhile, Cebu City Legal Officer Rey Gealon warned that charges may be filed against those who will manufacture unauthorized ECQ passes.
"Ang atong kapolisan, ang atong DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) eksperto kaayo kalabot niini busa ayaw ibutang sa pagsuway ang ilang abilidad sa pagsakop sa tagsa-tagsa ug pipila ka mga badlongon nga mosuway og tamper, fabricate ining maong mga QR coded passes," Gealon warned.
(Our police and DILG are experts on this so do not test their capability to apprehend those who will try to tamper and fabricate the QR code passes.)
"Ang atong kapolisan karon nagtan-aw na ug gimandoan na sa pagsusi ining giingon nga kaya mang-fake ug testingan ang mga fake nga QR coded passes kung makalusot ba sa mga quarantine checkpoint," he said.
(Our police have been directed to check on reported fake QR code passes that are attempted to be used at quarantine checkpoints.)
Gealon also emphasized that Mayor Edgardo Labella and the regional Inter-Agency Task Force have agreed that authorities at checkpoints should honor passes that bear only the name of a condominium or a village, among others.
"Naa namay order nga kung dili paigo ang tagsa-tagsa nga magkupot sa QR coded passes, pananglitan sa usa ka compound, mahimo nga ang ngan sa compound o ngan sa village o ngan sa condominium maoy ibutang aron maghuwamay sa di pa makompleto ang one per household nga mokupot niining QR coded quarantine passes," he said.
(There's already an order that if not all will get the QR coded passes, the name of the compound, village, or condominium can be the one written on the pass so that things will be smooth while distribution per household has not been completed yet.)
Gealon appealed to barangays officials to distribute the new ECQ passes efficiently.
"Ipanghatag intawon ang mga quarantine passes nga QR coded... Gumikan kay lisod na kaayog di ninyo ipanghatag kay basin maigo ta sa dereliction of duty nga mao nay hagit sa atong Inter-Agency Task Force," Gealon said.
(Please distribute the quarantine passes that are coded so we won't be charged for dereliction of duty that the Inter-Agency Task Force challenge us not to commit.)
He added the City Administrator's Office is ready to entertain complaints and concerns from residents.