Davao del Sur: Governor Douglas Cagas has issued Executive Order No. 20 establishing a provincial guidelines aimed at protecting the constituents and visitors of the province against the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
The provincial EO is pursuant to Proclamation No. 922 of President Rodrigo Duterte, which places the whole nation under the state of public health emergency as a response to a possible COVID-19 outbreak.
The provincial guidelines specifies the observance of preventive practices and etiquette such as proper hand washing, wearing of face masks, respiratory etiquette by covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and refraining from having close contact with other people such as handshaking and hugging.
In the guidelines, the residents, visitors and employees of government and private offices are advised to wear face masks, if available, especially in going to public places, riding public utility vehicles, and joining mass gatherings.
All officials and employees of the provincial government are required to wear face masks when entering and while within the capitol premises, provincial coliseum and other buildings situated within the capitol compound.
The visitors and clients are also advised to wear face masks when transacting in any office within the capitol compound.
Mass gatherings like fiestas, founding anniversaries, tribal festivals, parades, and the likes, will be allowed provided that all attendees and participants shall observe the preventive practices and etiquette.
However, the guidelines stipulate that in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the province, all mass gatherings will be suspended.
The guidelines also reiterate the previous pronouncement of Cagas that Monday convocations in the provincial capitol will be deferred until further notice. The convocations of the municipal and city governments in the province, meanwhile, will be subject to the preventive measures set by the respective local government units.
The residents and visitors are obliged to submit for mandatory thermal scanning in places and establishments that require such.
There will also be mandatory disinfection in all public and private offices, establishments including business establishments and schools and, as well as public utility vehicles.
Provision of soap and 70% solution alcohol will also be required in all public and private offices and establishments.
The executive order mandates churches, mosques and the like to provide regulations to prevent transmission of the disease during worship.
For the price monitoring and control, the Provincial Price Coordinating Council (PPCC) is directed to conduct regular and/or random price monitoring of basic and prime commodities, including prices of surgical masks, hand sanitizers, and alcohol throughout the province.
The EO also tasked the existing Davao del Sur Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (EREID) to act as the concurrent COVID-19 Task Force which is instructed to intensify the efforts in addressing the outbreak.
Cagas has announced during the LGU’s Monday convocation that he would be issuing the executive order detailing or enumerating the things that must be followed, saying “so we’ll not get sick and we’ll not transmit infection to others.”
“Let’s hope and pray that God will teach our scientists to find the correct medicines to fight COVID,” he stated. PIA