Mayor Evelio Leonardia has issued Executive Order (47) creating the Quarantine and Health Protocol Compliance Council as part of the city government’s continuing response to the crisis brought by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“The dynamic nature of the Covid-19 pandemic calls for the constant review and adjustment of existing quarantine and health protocols, not to mention the issuance of new guidelines or processes for the effective control of and protection from this disease,” Leonardia, who chairs the Council, said in the directive released on Wednesday.
He named Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as co-chairperson and Councilor Renecito Novero as vice-chairperson.
The Council is tasked to review local orders and issuances related to quarantine and health protocols, thereby ensuring their harmony with existing national laws, guidelines, and issuances, as well as draft new or amending guidelines for quarantine procedures and health protocols, for the adoption and approval of the city mayor.
It will also establish measures to check the effective implementation and ensure the compliance of all laws, orders, issuances, and ordinances against Covid-19 and conduct meetings at least twice a month, or at any time, whenever there is an emergency.
As part of the response, the Task Force Disiplina (TFD) is also being formed, which will be supervised by the Quarantine and Health Protocol Compliance Council, and headed by Familiaran, who will be assisted by Wilfredo Geolingo as action officer.
The TFD, which will be composed of personnel from the Bacolod City Police Office, City Mayor’s Office, City Administrator’s Office, and Public Order and Safety Office, will mainly be responsible for ensuring the compliance of persons and establishments/offices with all existing laws, issuances, and ordinances related to the established health protocols against Covid-19.
Also, it may carry out arrests in flagrante delicto (caught in the act) with the assistance of BCPO personnel at all times.
As of Tuesday, Bacolod has 64 confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 33 are active cases. Three deaths have been recorded. (Nanette Guadalquiver ndb via pna, photo ctto)