ILOILO City – What will be this city’s pandemic alert level beginning tomorrow after today’s Alert Level 1 ends?
Mayor Jerry Treñas is appealing for an Alert Level 0 from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).
“Slowly I think we need to get out of this. Duha na ka tuig. Damu na negosyo nagsilira. Damu na tawo waay trabaho. Ti balik na ta,” Treñas told reporters in a press conference yesterday.
The mayor will be writing the taskforce a letter for an Alert Level 0, pointing out that local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR) were similarly seeking such.
He cited Iloilo City’s decreasing daily cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), low healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) at 37.11 percent and low-risk average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 2.82 percent.
“Ginapreparar ko na ang sulat sa IATF parehas man sa NCR…What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” said Treñas.
Among others, wearing facemask is optional under Alert Level 0.
Last week, Health secretary Francisco Duque III disclosed that the government’s pandemic managers would be discussing guidelines for a possible Alert Level 0, which could end most if not all of the health emergency restrictions in the country.
The Department of Health has set five COVID-19 pandemic alert levels, with Level 1 as the least restrictive and considered the “new normal”.
Iloilo City was placed under Alert Level 1 beginning just Friday last week, March 11.
For an area to shift to Alert Level 1, the following IATF metrics must be met:
* low to minimal risk classification
* total bed utilization rate less than 50 percent
* 70 percent of target population (or 80 percent of total population) and 80 percent of target senior citizens are fully vaccinated
Mayor Treñas is also pushing for the revival of face-to-face classes in Iloilo City.
“Kay daku sang napirdi sang kabataan sa duha ka tuig. Online class is not as effective as face-to-face class,” said Treñas.
Sixty schools in Region 6 have resumed face-to-face classes due to their areas’ Alert Level 1 status since March 1 but none in Iloilo City. Fifteen of these were the pilot schools identified as early as last year for limited face-to-face classes. The 45 others were in the expanded list of the Department of Education – Region 6’s list of schools eligible for face-to-face classes.
As for tertiary schools in Iloilo City, 10 have been allowed face-to-face classes by the Commission on Higher Education but for certain programs (courses) only. These were the following:
1. West Visayas State University – Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
2. Central Philippine University – Doctor of Medicine, BSN, Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology (BSMT) / Medical Laboratory Science
3. Iloilo Doctors’ College of Medicine – Doctor of Medicine
4. Iloilo Doctors’ College – BSN, Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology / Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, and Midwifery
5. University of San Agustin – BSN and BSMT/Medical Laboratory Science
6. University of Iloilo – BSN
7. John B. Lacson Maritime Foundation University (JBLMFU) – BS Marine Transport (Arevalo) and BS Marine Engineering (Molo)
8. St. Therese MTC College – BS Marine Engineering, BS Marine Transportation and BS Criminology
9. St. Paul University Iloilo – BSBA-Human Resource Management, BSBA-Marketing Management, BSBA-Financial Management, BS Accountancy, BSHM, BSTM, BSND, BSN, BSPT, BSOT, BS Biology, BS Psychology, Bachelor of Special Needs Education, and Master in Nursing/PN
