Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas revealed there are ongoing talks with the Department of Health (DOH) to possibly transform the La Paz Maternity and Reproductive Health Center into an isolation center for 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) patients.
In addition, he said the Office of the Civil Defense may also provide their regional evacuation centers to be used as isolation areas.
Treñas earlier said he planned to issue an executive order creating a task force to combat nCoV.
“Sa subong sa syudad waay pa kita confirmed [cases]; may ara kita PUI pero waay pa confirmation asta subong (There are currently no confirmed nCoV cases in the city, while there are patients under investigation, there has been no confirmation as of yet),” the mayor explained. “We, as much as possible, want to make sure that situation will remain in Iloilo City.”
He said Dr. Roland Fortuna of the City Health Office will lead the group, which will be comprised of representatives from the DOH-Region VI, hotels and restaurants, malls, barangays, and Department of Education-Region VI, and tasked with meeting, discussing, and relaying information on developments from the central and regional DOH offices.
Last Friday, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued an executive order creating the Bacolod City Inter-Agency Task Force Against the Novel Coronavirus, wherein he appointed Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as chair and City Councilor Cindy Rojas, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Health, and city health officer, Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, as vice chairs./WDJ