Cebu City as new virus epicenter likely — Año
AMID MASS GATHERINGS AND VIOLATIONS
Somehow we’re able to contain in the whole country but of course in the National Capital Region and Cebu we have to do more. Particularly Cebu, it’s the epicenter now compared to Metro Manila in area and population
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año admonished Cebu City residents for defying stay-at-home orders as he disclosed that the Visayas urban hub is already becoming the new epicenter of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines.
Año, who is also vice chair of the national task force against the pandemic, said that Cebu City alone tallied 131 new cases as of Sunday compared to Metro Manila’s 356 new cases coming from 17 local government units (LGU).
“Somehow we’re able to contain in the whole country but of course in the National Capital Region and Cebu we have to do more. Particularly Cebu, it’s the epicenter now compared to Metro Manila in area and population,” Año said during a television interview.
He also stressed that the number of virus cases in the city rose due to the public’s “complacency, eagerness to resume economic activities immediately” and the return of Filipino migrant workers and residents stranded from other areas.
“We’d also like to enjoin and ask the people to observe the health standards protocols. There are so many people violating the quarantine protocols, not wearing masks, not observing physical distancing. In fact, there was even a fiesta celebration the other day in Barangay Basak, San Nicolas,” Año said.
Charges have been filed against event organizer Nicolas Tabar, Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain Norman Navarro and 13 others for violation of quarantine protocols as the group was engaged in a Sinulog parade dance for their fiesta celebration in Sitio Alumnos on Saturday night.
PBGen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, chief of Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 yesterday said that the gathering was a manifestation of the failure of barangay officials to supervise implementation of enhanced community quarantine in the area.
The DILG, Año said, will file cases against the organizers for violating quarantine protocols and the barangay chairman and its police community precinct will be asked to explain.
In the town of Tabogon, 53 men were caught in Sitio Esi, Barangay Kal-anan while gathered and engaging in illegal cockfighting or tigbakay.
Police likewise arrested several persons involved in a motocross event at Barangay Pulpoggan in the town of Consolacion where the attendees watched the event without observing social distancing practices.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PGen. Archie Gamboa directed ground troops to “immediately arrest” ECQ violators and stressed that no more warnings will be given to those who will not follow quarantine guidelines.
“Yes, that’s our guidance for Cebu because it is a requirement (to follow protocols) given the high infection rate there. If possible, no more warning and effect the arrest straight. But generally, the behavior of Cebuanos, they follow. Of course, there are still those who are hardheaded. But majority of them follow the quarantine imposition,” Gamboa said in his press briefing in Camp Crame
yesterday.
Meanwhile, Año also said that the Health department on Sunday sent 32 medical workers to augment the city’s healthcare capacity and more will be sent while the military and the police will continue to “implement the strict observance of lockdown.”
Drones have also been deployed to watch over the city, Año said.
“We are asking the public, the Cebu constituents to please do your part, observe health standards strictly. And likewise for those who might have been exposed to positive COVID-19 patients, please
volunteer and go to the isolation facilities or have yourself tested,” Año said.
The DILG chief noted that government officials will be going to the city to scout for more sites for isolation facilities as most of the infections in the community were due to positive patients staying at home.
“We can’t be sure if those patients are observing proper protocols of home quarantine. So better to extract them out of the community to ensure safety of the families and neighborhood,” Año said.