Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan says there should be a uniform classification of community quarantine status in Cebu. | Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to make a uniform community quarantine classification in Cebu since the local government units (LGUs) in the province were operating under the “One Cebu” Policy.
The mayor is also appealing to the IATF-MEID to reconsider its decision in recommending the Lapu-Lapu City to be placed under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status from August 1-15, 2021.
“70% of the city’s active cases are asymptomatic. Also, a comparison of daily COVID-19 cases of these 4 LGUs since July 5 would show that the cases in Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City are substantially smaller compared to that of Cebu City and Cebu Province,” Chan’s letter read.
The letter was addressed to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, and was coursed through DILG-7 regional director Leocadio Trovela.
Chan said that the province should have a uniform quarantine classification since its economic activities were highly interconnected and interdependent with each other.
“Having different community quarantine classifications of neighboring LGUs may cause confusion and misinformation on the protocols and allowable activities per local government unit. This can have an effect on the operations of our business establishments which are still grappling with the effects of the pandemic,” the letter added.
Under the MECQ, it requires the temporary closure or suspension of certain businesses and/or limiting the allowable economic activities. This, in turn, can further cause loss of income and livelihood of our people.
Aside from this, Chan also said that the city did not have the resources to extend the assistance to its constituents since the city’s resources had already depleted.
“We have been forced to realign many of our projects in order to fund
COVID-19 relief and response efforts. If the city is placed under MECQ, we do not have the resources to provide for financial, food, or livelihood assistance for our constituents who will experience loss of livelihood or income,” it added.
Chan also assured the IATF-MEID that the city could handle the sudden surge of COVID-19 positive cases through the implementation of its existing measures which aimed to curb the increase of cases.
These measures include the increase of the city’s isolation facility capacity, creation of Barangay Enforcement Units (BUEs) to check the compliance on mandatory public health safety standards, creating of more discipline zone, aggressive targeted surveillance testing, aggressive COVID-19 vaccination program, temporary suspension of non-essential mass gatherings and stricter implementation of public health protocols, deployment of city-funded nurses to private hospitals in the city to increase the latter’s COVID-19 bed capacity, and the establishment of a step down facilities to help decongest COVID-19 hospital beds.
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