ILOILO – Vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or not, anyone can enter the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
But minimum health standards such as the wearing of facemask and physical distancing must be observed, said acting Provincial Administrator Suzette Mamon, including, too, the washing of hands and checking of body temperature prior to entry.
“Wala pa nag-abot sa amo sina nga level (‘no vaccination, no entry’) kay ongoing pa man ang vaccination naton sa bilog nga probinsya kag daku ang province,” said Mamon.
In Iloilo City, the city government has barred unvaccinated individuals from entering city hall beginning yesterday.
In this province, the capitol has shortened its business days Mondays to Thursdays. Disinfection is being done on Fridays.
LOCALIZED LOCKDOWN
Meanwhile, local chief executives in this province are mandated to enforce strict localized lockdowns to contain further COVID-19 transmission.
Yesterday, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued an executive order enforcing additional COVID-19 surge management measures amid the province’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“Owing to the COVID-19 situation in the province of Iloilo and the confirmed entry of the Delta variant (of the virus causing COVID-19), there is a need for additional COVID-19 surge management measures,” said Defensor.
As of Aug. 1, the province had 16,930 total confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 2,425 were active, the governor noted.
For the two-week period from July 18-31, 2021, the daily average of COVID-19 cases was at 137, with an Average Daily Attack Rate (ADAR) of 6.65 and a Two-Week Growth Rate of negative 8.81 percent.
Movement of persons shall be limited to accessing essential goods and services, or work/conduct of business in allowed offices, establishments, industries and livelihood sectors, Defensor said.
Non-essential travel shall also be prohibited.
Moreover, provincial government-run hospitals are also told to prepare “for immediate elevation to 50 percent to 70 percent of total hospital bed capacity”.
Defensor said the COVID-19 dedicated bed capacity of the Iloilo Provincial Hospital and all district hospitals was at 403 beds or 49.57 percent of the total 813 bed capacity, with a Health Care Utilization Rate of 263 or 65.26 percent, as of Aug. 2./PN