More than one thousand new ones have been added to Davao City’s number of COVID-19 cases just for the month of November.
But this does not come as a surprise to the local government. This is a result of the city’s intensified contact tracing efforts where many people turned out to be positive with the disease and their close contacts have been isolated.
“On the contrary, ‘pag dumarami yung nate-trace out na pasyente, ibig sabihin kumikilos ang gobyerno, kasi magtataka tayo kung bakit wala tayong reported cases tapos mayroon tayong pandemic (if more patients are being traced out, this means that the government is doing something. We will wonder if there are no cases being reported despite the pandemic),” Dr. Ashley Lopez of Focal, Department of Health (DOH) Davao City explained.
More than 2000 contact tracers have been deployed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and DOH to different parts of Davao City to trace direct contacts as well as second and third generation contacts.
Dr. Lopez reminded that contact tracing will be more effective with the cooperation of everyone.
“We have to, as much as possible, dapat ipaalam natin sa ating district health offices or health centers sa barangay kung mayroong mga suspect, lalo na ang mga positive. Hindi natin sila itago sa bahay (we have to, as much as possible, let our district health offices or health centers in the barangay know if there are suspects, especially the positive ones. We should not hide them at home),” Dr. Lopez urged.
The local government also gave importance on the implementation of curfew hours and the 24-hour liquor ban to avoid non-essential gathering.
“It is the reason why we have to impose the 24-hour liquor ban and curfew because we want people to stay home. Kung hindi necessary, hindi essential ang rason para lumabas, huwag na kayong lumabas ng bahay (If the errand is not necessary, not essential, might as well stay home),” Dr. Lopez continued.
Non-Essential Movements of Davaoňeos will be further limited once the Safe Davao QR will be made mandatory starting November 23.
– Report from Jay Lagang
