CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen or firemen will be deployed in each barangay in Lapu-Lapu City in order to enhance and expedite the contact tracing activities for COVID-19 cases in the city.
On Monday, August 3, 2020, Mayor Junard Chan held a coordination meeting with medical frontliners, police and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel, and Barangay Health and Emergency Response Teams (BHERT) to prepare for the implementation of a “proactive” way in contact tracing.
Chan said the city could better arrest the rise of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases if the response in tracing and testing would be improved.
“Kung mas dali ang contact tracing, mas mapadali usab nato nga ma-swab ug ang ilang isolation kung ugaling mataptan sila sa maong sakit. Kung dali nato ma-isolate ang mga indibidwal, mas dali usab nato malikayan ang pagkatag sa COVID-19,” Chan said.
(If there will be speedy contact tracing, we can immediately swab and isolate those who will be found infected with the disease. If we are able to isolate them immediately, we would also be able to prevent further spread of the virus.)
“Mag assign kita og police o BFP sa matag barangay para mas mapadali ang assessment [ug] evaluation ug mas madali usab ang pagpahigayon sa swab sa atong mga city health workers,” Chan said.
(We will assign a police or BFP personnel in every barangay so that we can expedite the assessment and evaluation of the area and so our city health personnel can immediately conduct swab collection.)
As of the August 2 data of the Department of Health (DOH-7), some 758 of the total 1,876 cases in the city remain active.
“Akong gihangyo ang tanan sa inyong makanunayong kooperasyon para mas mapadali ang trabaho sa atong mga frontliners ug para usab nga mas mapadali ang atong paglingkawas niining makalilisang nga sakit,” Chan said.
(I appeal to everybody for your continued cooperation so that the frontliners’ work would be faster and it would be faster for us to be rid of this fearsome disease.)
“Gusto na kitang tanan nga mabalik na sa atong normal nga kinabuhi busa buhaton sa atong gobyerno ang kutob sa atong makaya para mahatagan kana og katumanan,” he added.
(We want everyone to return to their normal lives so the government is doing what it can to reach this goal.)/dbs