Davao City – The Inter Agency Task Force Against COVID 19 is not recommending reverting to an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) or the 14-day citywide lockdown as requested by frontline health workers as it will gravely affect the economy of Davao City.
National Task Force Against COVID-19- Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. recommended a granular lockdown based on barangays in the city which have contributed to the surge of COVID cases.
Using metrics, the Department of Health has mapped out the barangays in the city which have spiked in COVID cases. These barangays are located along Davao River and along the coastal areas.
Based on DOH data around 96 barangays (out of 182 barangays in Davao City) had reported COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. And 35 out of the 96 barangays contributed 80% of the cases in the past 14 days.
Among these city barangays included; Buhangin which had 114 cases in the past 14 days followed by Barangay 19-B with 91 (in the past 14 days), Talomo had 79, Agdao had 73 and Bucana with 69 cases.
Galvez is also recommending going back to GCQ rather than a Modified General Community Quarantine (MGQ) as it allows social gatherings which would bring about the resurgence of COVID cases.
He said National Capital Region doesn’t want to return to MGCQ as the Mayors fear it would lead again to the spike in cases. Currently from 24,000 active COVID-19 cases, NCR now only has 2,700 active cases.
He also said there must be a strict observance of minimum health protocols particularly in business and in public transportations like PUJs where behavior such as talking, eating and using cellphones must be forbidden so that the virus would not spread among the co-passengers.
(Philippine Information Agency, RG Alama | OIC Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao)