New entry policy in vegetable trading post enforced

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government started implementing the no identification card, no uniform, no entry policy in the government-owned vegetable trading post to regulate the entry of individuals in the facility as one of the preventive measures to combat the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the municipality.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda said that the new entry policy in the facility is an alternative to the suspended implementation of the no swab, no entry to allow all the concerned stakeholders to undergo the gold standard COVID test before being allowed to transact business in the trading center to abate the possible surge in cases.
Earlier, a number of packers, porters and disposers tested positive of the deadly virus forcing the municipal government to temporarily close the operation of the vegetable trading post for disinfection.
Salda said the municipal government is adopting all possible strategies to prevent the spread of the deadly virus in the municipality to avoid compromising and overwhelming the town’s health care system and frontliners in case COVID cases surge that will in turn stress the economy.
According to him, the municipal government is awaiting the response of the State-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) through its president and chief executive officer Vince Dizon, who is also the country’s testing czar, for additional 2,000 test kits for another wave of mass testing for all individuals doing business at the trading post before strictly implementing the no swab, no entry policy.
The mayor claimed the initial implementation of the no ID, no uniform, no entry policy in the reading center went on smoothly unlike when the no swab, no entry policy was enforced that is why efforts are still being done to thresh out issues and concerns that may arise so that immediate actions could be done to avoid the impasse in the area.
Aside from complying with the new entry policy, Mayor Salda urged individuals entering the trading post to continue adhering to the prescribed health and safety protocols, particularly the mandatory wearing of face masks and shields and the observance of physical distancing to avoid contracting and spreading the virus.
The municipal mayor admitted the town’s existing quarantine and isolation units are already reaching their full capacity thus residents should continue to practice the basic health and safety protocols to avoid any drastic increase in cases in the town.
La Trinidad has the second highest number of COVID cases in Benguet as shown through the ongoing aggressive contact-tracing and expanded targeted testing for the members of the vulnerable sectors in the various barangays.
Salda expressed optimism the situation in the municipality will stabilize in the coming months with the compliance of the residents to the prescribed health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. By HENT