Ilocos Sur barangay now under Extreme ECQ after Covid-19 virus infects a resident working at a hospital

The local government unit (LGU) of Sta. Cruz placed the entire barangay of Sevilla under extreme enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting Monday, June 1, after one confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in the area.

The patient is a 33-year-old nurse from the said barangay who works at the St. Martin de Porres Hospital in Candon City.

She is now confined and isolated at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union.

In the Executive Order No. 56 s. of 2020 issued by Sta. Cruz Mayor Teresita Valle, she said that there is a need to place the entire Barangay Sevilla under extreme enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

With the extreme enhanced community quarantine in placed, residents of Barangay Sevilla are strictly mandated to be on home quarantine.

The quarantine pass is hereby suspended starting June 1 and access to basic necessities by every households shall be the primary duty of barangay officials, in coordination with the LGU-Sta. Cruz and other agencies.

All establishments within the barangay shall be temporarily closed.

All residents of the barangay are no longer allowed to go outside of the barangay and persons who are not residents of Barangay Sevilla are not allowed to enter the barangay to lessen the risk of transmission of the respiratory disease to other communities.

Checkpoints shall be established within the borders of the barangay to ensure that the movements of the persons within and outside of Barangay Sevilla shall be restricted and monitored starting June 1.

This declaration of extreme enhanced community quarantine and all its related rules and regulations shall be subjected to review as the situation further develops.

In a press conference on Monday, Governor Ryan Luis Singson said, “The Provincial Surveillance Team will conduct an extensive contact tracing in identified communities she had been to. Our teams will make use of rapid test kits to help us screen these contacts.”

Governor Singson added, “I appeal to everyone who may have been in close proximity to this person to please help us simplify procedures by voluntarily informing our health officers.”

Related to this, Candon City Mayor Ericson Singson released an official statement on Monday stating that the Candon Local Contact Tracing Team is taking action for the tracing of individuals who might have been in contact with the patient.

He reiterated to the residents to follow minimum health standards such as wearing of face masks and physical distancing. (Contents reposted from Philippine Information Agency)

Two or more Covid-19 cases may lock down an entire barangay, a building or a block during GCQ, MGCQ

Government response teams may put certain places on lockdown if two or more coronavirus cases are reported in the same vicinity, the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 told reporters in a statement on Tuesday, June 2.

This is part of efforts to protect the public from a feared second wave of coronavirus cases as Metro Manila and other populous areas in the country relax lockdown measures and shift to general community quarantine (GCQ), said NTF chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

"Mayroon tayong tinatawag na 'rapid response,' kung saan ila-lockdown natin ang isang building, pwedeng ila-lockdown din natin 'yung isang block, isa o dalawang barangay," Gavez said in a televised Malacañang briefing on Monday, June 1.

(We have what we call "rapid response," in which we'll place under lockdown a building, or a block, or a barangay or two.)

In such critical areas where a spike in transmissions of the virus is reported, the government will impose measures similar to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Metro Manila was under ECQ from March 15 to May 15, then modified ECQ from May 16 to 31.

A "localized lockdown" may be imposed on a barangay, a subdivision, or even a single building, depending on the location of reported COVID-19 cases, in order to immediately contain the virus, said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. (Content reposted from Rappler)

In photo: In this file photo, road signs mark Mandaluyong City's total lockdown of barangays Mauway and Addition Hills on May 12, 2020. (Photo by Rob Reyes/Rappler}

Pasig barangay requires Covid-19 mass testing for its front-liners

More than 250 barangay front-liners in Pasig City have started undergoing free coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing in preparation for its transition from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ) on Monday.

The "mass testing" of barangay workers was conducted at the village hall of Barangay San Antonio, Pasig led by chairman Raymond Lising.

Lising said the initiative aims not only to ensure the welfare of the front-liners and their families but also to stop the transmission of the dreaded Covid-19.

"Conducting this Covid-19 testing is very crucial. Our front-liners are the ones very exposed as we continue to serve the people during these pandemic to ensure that they are safe and healthy in their homes," he said adding they have been busy serving the barangay residents since day 1 of the community quarantine.

He said those who will be found positive from the rapid testing will again be subjected to the confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test.

"Giving a person supportive treatment is very important. We can only do that once we detect once he/she gets tested," he said.

Lising added "those na magpa-positive (will be tested positive) will be automatically subjected to the PCR test of the city government na (that is) privately commissioned."

On Friday, a total of 103 medical front-liners underwent rapid testing as they are the first batch of the barangay's 253 front-liners and regular employees, Lising said.

The first batch comprised of personnel from Emergency Management Service, fire department, rescue, VAWC (violence against women and children), Command Center, SK (sangguniang kabataan) officials and other village personnel.

On June 3, the second batch of front-liners composed of garbage collectors, personnel from utility department, in-house security, driver, street sweepers, engineering department, security department and traffic department are set to undergo the rapid testing.

In the coming days, Lising said they are eyeing to test around 50 additional personnel who will be part of the third batch of the barangay.

"(This is) initiative and efforts ito ng (of) Barangay San Antonio as part of massive testing for our front-liners."

Lising explained the mass testing is free and shouldered by Barangay San Antonio for the first 103 employees who underwent tests. The barangay will also bear the cost of the rapid test for the third batch with a total of 50 employees.

"Our barangay really allotted the fund for this mass testing. We protect our residents by ensuring our front-liners, the people serving them at the barangay, are Covid-free," he said.

Meanwhile, the remaining 100 personnel will use the test kits provided by the Pasig City government to Barangay San Antonio.

Lising said a privately commissioned company accredited by the Department of Health supervised the rapid test conducted at the barangay health center. (Content reposted from Philippine News Agency)


In photo: Barangay San Antonio Chairman Raymond Lising leads the conduct of free Covid-19 rapid testing to some 250 village front-liners and employees to ensure their safety and protection as well as the residents of the community they are bound to serve. Metro Manila and other areas shift to more relaxed general community quarantine on Monday, June 1. (Photo courtesy of Barangay San Antonio)