By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
with NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents
THE capitol has asked its employees to wear protective masks amid the novel coronavirus threat.
The capitol is near the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) where, according to a health official in the region in an earlier interview, there are two people being observed because of novel coronavirus symptoms.
Lawyer Jocelyn Mateo-Lood, provincial administrator, issued Memorandum Order-JLM no. 2020-197, dated Jan. 31, to encourage provincial government employees to wear protective masks.
This came even as the capitol announced that it would use its emergency funds to buy thermo scanners.
Emano said the scanners would be installed at the airport in Laguindingan town, the Mindanao International Container Terminal port in Tagoloan town, and the port of Cagayan de Oro.
The provincial government, however, did not provide immediate figures for the purchase.
Emano said the thermo scanners would be used to monitor incoming passengers and crews of all vessels docking at the MICT in Misamis Oriental.
He said the scanning equipment are expected to be turned over anytime this week to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) that manages Laguindingan airport, and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) that operates the port of Cagayan de Oro and supervises the MICT.
At the capitol, Lood asked provincial government employees to take precautionary measures like avoiding close contact with people who have respiratory problems, washing hands frequently, and have their temperatures checked regularly.
But on Monday, provincial health officer Dr. Jerie Calingasan said there was no need for people to panic in buying and wearing masks unless the DOH raises the alert level and states that the situation has become dangerous.
Calingasan suggested to Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano to issue a memorandum directing capitol employees who just came abroad to go on a 14-day self-confinement first.
In another development, Calingsan said he has ordered the activation of barangay emergency response teams in each of the 424 villages in the province to help monitor transients especially foreigners who have just come to the country recently.
Calingasan said all transients who recently arrived from abroad since the last week of December must submit themselves to self-quarantine within 14 days, the incubation period of the dreaded novel coronavirus. (with reports from PNA)
