by Dong de los Reyes July 3, 2021 Lucena City Mayor Roderick Alcala (Photo from PIO Lucen) LUCENA CITY - The numbers aren't meant to enl...
July 3, 2021
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| Lucena City Mayor Roderick Alcala (Photo from PIO Lucen) |
LUCENA CITY - The numbers aren't meant to enlighten, but frighten.
Even the reportage of statistics of Covid-19 numbers seemingly concentrate on the heap of cases and the deaths, conveniently ignoring the tide of recoveries from the malady. Hence, nationwide cases has now ripped the 1-million mark that can feed nightmares of a populace in the grip of a plague of pessimist numbers.
Say, Lucena City with 237 active Covid cases amongst a population of roughly 300,000 isn't happy with getting slapped anew with the strictures and restrictions of a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) on the populace.
City Mayor Roderick Alcala reasoned that the reimposition shunts aside developments and efforts to curb the pandemic as he appealed to health authorities for a more reasonable, even lighter quarantine status for the city.
Alcala, in a letter sent to Director Ariel Iglesia, regional head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for Calabarzon, virtually on bended knees begged that the city be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
The regional Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) pushed for extension of the MECQ status for Lucena until July 15.
Rued Alcala: “(Further)imposition of MECQ will drastically be inimical to our economy and the livelihood of our people, considering that Lucena City is an economic hub and the only highly urbanized city in Calabarzon region."
Other Lucena city leaders also bewailed the continued MECQ status despite the all-out efforts of the city government to contain spread of the disease.
The city has fitted out Prevent- Detect- Isolate- Treat- Reintegrate (PDITR) strategies to lessen the risk.
City government steps taken to combat Covid-19 spread include:
1. Active information education campaigns through various platforms; 2. Fielding of over 600 Covid marshalls in 33 barangays to implement the city's anti-Covid Ordinance 2729;
3. Coordination meetings with various sectors and national government agencies;
4. Set up of quarantine control points in 4 major areas and 1 coastal village with beach resorts;
5. Strict screening in issuance of travel pass to restrict movement of persons; 6. Aggressive testing to the 3rd level of contact traced;
7. Opening additional Isolation Facility at Hillside Hotel;
8. Improved hospital referral system, including reopening a 24- hour tele-consultation service of the City Health Office, and
9. Distribution agricultural inputs, establishment of community gardens to ensure food security.
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