Lapu-Lapu: Alert level 3 not implemented yet; IATF decision on appeal awaited

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City government has not yet implemented the alert level 3 quarantine status in the city.

This was confirmed by the Lapu-Lapu City Public Information Office (PIO) head Mark Anthony Bautista.

“Yes! Walay implementation sa alert level 3 yet; paabot pa sa ma-come up nga desisyon ugma sa IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force),” Bautista said.

(Yes! We have not yet implemented the alert level 3; we are still waiting on the decision of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) [on their appeal].)

Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) has recommended that Lapu-Lapu City will be placed on alert level 3 starting on Sunday, January 9, 2022, until January 15, 2022.

This is due to the increase in the critical care utilization rate (CCUR) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) beds in the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital.

The city government, however, clarified that there was a mistake in the entry of data at the Department of Health (DOH)’s Collect Tracker.

Lawyer Misaellee Tejano, executive secretary of Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, explained that the encoder made a mistake in encoding the data in the tracker and that the hospital had no COVID-19 positive patients admitted in the last two weeks.

Bautista added that on Monday, January 10, 2022, the IATF-MEID would deliberate again on the quarantine status of the city, after Chan submitted an appeal to them.

“Actually nagtalk mi Mayor gabii kay nag ask ko ana niya about alert level 3 implementation but again iya ingun on Monday pa i-deliberate ang status sa Lapu-Lapu City government human sila mi-appeal sa IATF; he talks personally ni Sec. Nograles explaining what really happened mao nga tukion pa on Monday kay Sunday man gahapon,” he added.

(Actually, I talked with the mayor last night because I asked him about the alert level 3 implementation, but again he told men that the status of the Lapu-Lapu City government will be deliberated on Monday yet after they made their appeal to the IATF; he had talked with Sec. Nograles explaining what really happened that is why they will discuss it on Monday because today is Sunday.)

He added that the city has not also implemented any border control order to the Philippine National Police (PNP), aside from checkpoints related to the implementation of the election gun ban that has started on Sunday, January 9, 2022.

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