Davao City: The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emergency Infectious Diseases (IATF) announced yesterday that it has categorized Davao Region under General Community Quarantine until May 31, 2020.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, in her radio program yesterday aired at the Davao City Disaster Radio said that the city for now is still on an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) until May 15, 2020. However, she said the city will follow the recommendation of the IATF placing the city under GCQ after May 15. It is subject for review on May 14.
Mayor Duterte reminded Dabawenyos that a GCQ is still a community quarantine with eased up restrictions.
The Department of Health XI (DOH XI), in the One Davao on COVID 19 Virtual Presser held yesterday bared that the agency is yet to present a report to the local chief executives that could help in determining decision on the category of quarantine.
“ When we started to have COVID cases mid of March, we implemented quarantine measures and we’ve seen a decrease in COVID 19 cases when we started ECQ. Before, the doubling time was 3 to 4 days but during ECQ, the doubling time is longer which is between 15 to 19 days,” said DOH XI Assistant Regional Director Lenny Joy Rivera.
The official explained that if these measures will continue, it could further prevent the spread of the virus.
“What is important is that we have the capacity to detect those infected, isolate them immediately, and manage them so we can control the spread of infection and the cases of death.
The DOH XI official shared that local chief executives have been setting up isolation facilities in their own province/city/municipality.
The Davao Region has beefed up its testing capacity from a mere 100 tests per day during the early days of operations. According to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Dr. Ricardo Audan, the said sub national testing laboratory can now accommodate 300 tests per day.
The IATF resolution recommending quarantine categories for provinces, HUCs, and ICCs cited that the classification may be appealed to the IATF screening and validation committee with the concurrence of the RIATF not later than May 13, 2020. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)
