Cebu City dad pushes for preparations against new COVID strain

Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak | City Hall file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, City Council’s chairperson for the committee on disaster risk reduction and management, is pushing for the city government’s preparations for the possible arrival of a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) strain in the city.

In two separate resolutions approved by the City Council on January 7, 2021, during their regular session, Tumualk called on the city’s executive department to evaluate the readiness of the facilities to cater to the COVID patients.

Primarily, Tumulak wanted the isolation facilities to be prepared in case there would a be recorded case of the new strain in the city.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) said the new variants might be more transmissible and could affect the younger population more, the entry of a new strain would put majority of the residents in danger.

“Based on the experience last year, barangay isolation centers have played a huge role in combating the the spread of local transmission, especially during those times when the city and national governments were still building isolation centers,” said Tumulak.

Read: Labella wants separate isolation facility for patients with new COVID-19 strain

The councilor is urging Mayor Edgardo Labella to evaluate the preparedness of the isolation facilities and provide resources to help them get ready should the cases increase with the new strain.

Furthermor, Tumulak is also urging the executive department to provide logistical support to the seaports and airports in Cebu to strengthen the detection and isolation of passengers who might be infected with the new strain.

Read: What we do and don’t know about new COVID-19 mutations

This logistical support must also be extended to the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Quarantine, Cebu Ports Authority, and others, who will be handling incoming passengers of travelling.

Tumulak hopes that with enough preparations, the city can deter the entry of the new COVID-19 strain or prevent its spread in the unfortunate event that it should breach the city.

“We need to be prepared. We can’t have a repeat of what happened last year,” said the councilor. /dbs

Read: Cebu City braces for new COVID variant, eyes stricter border controls