MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Like a good soldier, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas said that he was prepared to follow the lead of the national government in addressing the continuous rise in cases of the coronavirus disease in his city.
“The city of Talisay respects the decision of the President and the IATF. We will follow their lead,” Gullas said in response to Malacañang’s decision to keep the city’s general community quarantine (GCQ) status.
Read: MGCQ in Cebu province except Talisay, Minglanilla, Consolacion
“We will also talk with our PNP chief regarding all the concerns of the president earlier and how we can do better. We will take this as a challenge to do better and to do more,” he said in a Facebook post early this Wednesday morning, July 1, 2020.
In a televised presser with President Rodrigo Duterte at midnight on July 1, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced that Cebu province, except for Talisay City and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion, will now be under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Talisay City and Minglanilla and Consolacion towns will keep its GCQ status for now because of the continuing increase in COVID-19 cases.
On Tuesday, June 30, Talisay City logged 22 new cases of the infection and seven recoveries. This now brings to a total of 291 the city’s COVID-19 cases, of which 143 remain as active cases. Talisay City has so far logged 103 recoveries.
“As cases continue to rise not only in Talisay I ask all of you to not take this virus lightly. There is nothing light about this virus. This is a very dangerous virus,” Gullas said.
Gullas said that the COVID-19 virus has been proven to be very deadly especially to those who suffer from existing conditions.
“We all have loved ones fighting for their lives because of this virus. We have lost friends and even families because of this virus. Please don’t wait until it hits close to home to be vigilant about this,” he said.
“As deaths continue to rise I ask all of you, please report your symptoms. Please tell the barangay, please call the covid hotline or tell anyone so we can act accordingly and as soon as possible.”
Gullas is asking city residents not to wait for their situations to get worst before they should decide to seek help.
“The key in this battle is early detection,” he said.
He said that even the barangays are equipped to help in the early detection of the symptoms of the infection.
For those who have remained COVID-free, Gullas said there is a need to always follow health protocols like the wearing of face masks, the need to maintain social distancing, and constant handwashing to help in the fight against the spread of the infection.
“Let’s do our part Talisaynons. While we have our personal and individual battles to deal with, we should be one in fighting the war against Covid.”