Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas recently issued an executive order calling for strict compliance with self-quarantine policies and directed patients under monitoring for the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19, to be quarantined. The directive called for “all persons who travelled from abroad or persons under monitoring to strictly undergo self-quarantine.”
“Waay man kita gahambal nga positive na sila but we are asking them to go on voluntary quarantine para kon may magwa gid man nga sintoma then they will be referred to the proper hospital (We are not telling them they tested positive but we are asking for them to go on voluntary quarantine and, if symptoms arise, they will be referred to the proper hospital),” the mayor explained earlier this week after meeting with members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on a proposed ordinance regarding voluntary quarantine. “Kinanglan lang aton sang ordinansa para may ara man kita force para magpatuman sini nga voluntary quarantine (We need the ordinance in order to implement the voluntary quarantine).”
The order also noted, “It is imperative and necessary to protect the health and safety of the constituents of Iloilo City by declaring for persons who travelled abroad or patients under monitoring to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days from the date of departure from countries with positive Covid-19 cases.”
According to data as of March 10, the city has 82 patients under monitoring, most of whom are overseas Filipino workers from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and other areas affected by the virus./WDJ