TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The City Inter-agency Task Force (CIATF) on COVID-19 led by Mayor Darwin Estrañero on Tuesday, August 11, approved a motion to classify Silao Street in Purok 2, Bulanao as a “critical zone” and put it under localized lockdown after a cluster of COVID-19 cases this week was linked to a religious organization located there.
The localized lockdown will be imposed upon concurrence of the Regional Inter-agency Task Force, officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.
The tagging of Silao Street as a “critical zone” follows the so-called Zoning Containment Strategy developed by the National Task Force against COVID-19.
Under the said strategy, the area within 500 meters from Silao St. is classified as the “containment zone” while another 500 meters from the containment zone is classified as the “buffer zone”.
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Interventions to be done within the zones include perimeter control measures, surveillance activities, mandatory quarantine and treatment activities, testing activities, disinfection, physical distancing measures, social amelioration and socioeconomic mitigation activities, and health systems capacity preparedness.
Inside the critical zone in particular, movement will be severely restricted and mass gatherings will be prohibited on top of the implementation of minimum health standards.
As of writing, there are seven confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the said religious organization in Bulanao Norte. Among the patients are five pastors, a 55-year old woman, and a 7-year-old male child, who are all currently quarantined and managed at the City Isolation Unit and at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital.
During the meeting on Tuesday, the CIATF also approved a motion for the stricter implementation of social distancing rules, as well as the rules on mass gatherings.
Health officials stressed the need to ensure that 50% capacity rule is being followed particularly in establishments and religious gatherings. Tabuk City is currently under Modified General Community Quarantine wherein mass gatherings are allowed but at a limited capacity.
Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Trade Industry-Kalinga said that repeat inspections of establishments will be conducted with partner agencies and establishments found non-compliant of health protocols will have their licenses revoked.
By Iryll Sicnao
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