Will Cebu follow suit in declaring a lockdown?

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia |CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Stricter protocols for social distancing and mobility are on the way for Cebu.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the provincial government would come up with more stringent protocols, within the next 48 hours, to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease.

This is after the Department of Health has confirmed the first case of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Cebu.

The patient, a senior citizen who recently visited Metro Manila and some cities in Mindanao, is currently confined in a hospital in Mandaue City.

Read more: 1st COVID-19 case in Mandaue ‘recovering’ — DOH-7 chief

Studying Luzon guidelines

Garcia said she would be studying the guidelines that were now being implemented in Luzon as the entire island were placed under enhanced general quarantine.

“They have guidelines kinsa ra ang allowed, kinsa ra ang pwede makagawas sa balay. They have the guidelines and I have to study these very carefully kay nahisayod ta kon unsay impact pod ani sa mga negosyo ug sa mga sweldado nga nagdepende ra sa ilang sweldo,” she said.

(They have guidelines on who are allowed to leave the house. They have the guidelines and I have to study these very carefully because we have to know the impact of these measures on the businesses and the wage earners who are dependent on their salary.)

“Rest assured ang atong decision, tagaan gyud natog paramount importance and seguridad sa mga Sugboanon, ang kinabuhi sa mga Sugboanon,” she said.

(Rest assured in making our decision, we will give paramount importance and security to the Cebuanos and the lives of the Cebuanos.)

Read more: BREAKING: Luzon now under ‘enhanced community quarantine’ – Palace

“We should learn from the Manila situation. They have very rational and logical guidelines. On the other hand, we should also learn from the Manila experience — how and when this will be implemented,” Garcia added.

Garcia also said that she have asked the DOH and the PNP and the military to immediately coordinate in the conduct of the contact tracing for the COVID-19 patient.

“Kini man gung contact tracing, trabaho man nig mga intelligence network. Di man ni trabaho og mga doctor,” said Garcia.

(Contact tracing is the job of the intelligence network. It is not the job of the doctor.)

Garcia added that they were now awaiting the permission of the family and the COVID-19 patient himself so that we could release his identity in public.

This way, Garcia said, those who would remember having contact with the patient would be aware and could go on self quarantine immediately./dbs