TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The local government disclosed that some twenty three persons under investigation (PUIs) in the city have been cleared of the dreaded Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 after their confirmatory tests results showed that they were negative of the deadly virus.
Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero said that from March to April 2, 2020, there were some 30 PUIs that have been reported in the city who were immediately provided with the appropriate medical attention considering the sensitivity of the dreaded virus that could have infected them.
However, the local chief executive reported that during the aforesaid period 12 PUIs were able to complete their prescribed 14-day mandatory quarantine to prevent them from possibly infecting the members of their families and their close contacts.
Of the 30 PUIs, Estrañero disclosed that 5 PUIs are still under strict home quarantine being monitored by the personnel of the City health Office frequently while 2 PUIs are still admitted at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH) considering that they have shown moderate symptoms of the contagious virus.
More Importantly, Estrañero reported that of the 30 PUIs, only 5 PUIs were subjected to swab samples and luckily, their confirmatory test results turned negative, thus, they were given the necessary clean bill of health by the authorities upon completion of the quarantine period.
Mayor Estrañero expressed his gratitude to the people of the city for their continuous cooperation to the implementation of the strict guidelines for the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine amidst the various issues confronting the way concerned government agencies and the local government handle the present situation.
He appealed to the residents to be patient in awaiting the decision of the inter-agency task force on the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases on the gradual lifting of the enhanced community quarantine or the extension of the same considering that various sectors have already brought their sentiments to the concerned authorities through the different social and mainstream media platforms.
He also commended the barangay officials, the police, military, city officials and department heads, volunteers among others who sacrificed their time, effort and resources to ensure the strict implementation of the polices that were crafted by the task force that govern the prevailing quarantine in Luzon over the past three weeks.
Earlier, the city government strictly implemented the number coding on the bearers of the issued home quarantine passes from Mondays to Fridays to ensure that there will be regulation on the mobility of people wanting to go out of their residences purposely to purchase food products, attend to medical needs and for emergency purposes as Saturdays have been devoted for cleanup in their respective houses and compounds while Sundays will be total lockdown in the city.
Estrañero is keeping his fingers crossed that there will be no PUI from the city who will test positive of the deadly virus as it will surely have a serious negative impact to the already fragile economic activities in the city which is an offshoot of the implementation of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine.
By Dexter A. See