Cebu City declares ‘state of preparedness’ vs Wuhan coronavirus

The Cebu City Council in regular session on Jan. 29, 2020 where they approved the resolution declaring the city under a state of preparedness to address the threat of the entry of Wuhan coronavirus into the city. |CDND Photo/ Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has declared a state of preparedness amid the possible threat of the entry of the 2019-novel coronavirus or Wuhan coronavirus into the city.

Two individuals are currently being monitored in Cebu City for the coronavirus infection, while a child was cleared after proving negative to tests detecting the virus.

Councilor David Tumulak, the chairperson of the council’s committee disaster risk reduction and management, said that with the Wuhan coronavirus now recorded in many parts of the world, Cebu City must be prepared to face its possible entry and spread.

“With the declaration of state of preparedness, the city is taking the lead in advancing the need for all sectors in society, both public and private, to adopt and implement necessary preparedness measures,” said Tumulak.

A state of preparedness will allow the city government to access its disaster funds to purchase more personal protective equipment (PPE), put up precautionary measures, and ensure that the city’s hospitals are prepared to handle a confirmed coronavirus case.

The council urged all public establishments, from malls to places of worship, to adopt precautionary measures in preventing the spread of the virus.

They also asked the Department of Health to release guidelines for the public to know what do should a case of coronavirus be confirmed in the city.

Tumulak urged the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) to also monitor the price of the PPEs  after noting that the price of face masks has doubled.

The council has encouraged the barangays to also use their disaster funds, not more than 70 percent, to prepare their barangay health centers to handle cases of coronavirus./elb