MAYOR Oscar Moreno today expressed apprehensions over the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force’s move to further ease restrictions in the city by downgrading the quarantine level in the city.
Effective Monday, Cagayan de Oro would be under a modified general community quarantine based on the Task Force’s Resolution 40 that was approved by President Duterte.
In the press briefing at the city hall this morning, Moreno said Section 5.2 of Resolution 40 that provides that all people would be allowed to leave their respective residences was particularly alarming to him.
“This is a sharp departure gikan sa [enhanced community quarantine] nga naa ra gyud sa balay and [general community quarantine] nga [authorized persons outside residence] lang gi-allow. This means nga wala na’y kwarantina. Base kini sa assessment sa sub-technical group sa IATF,” Moreno said.
Moreno has written to the task force through Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional director Arnel Agabe to appeal that city hall be allowed to continue implementing measures to contain the virus as it sees fit.
He said, “… we would like, therefore, to request that the National IATF will recognize and acknowledge that the downgrading of the [general commnunity quarantine] to [modified general commnunity quarantine] for Cagayan de Oro City to the contrary notwithstanding, the basic and inherent powers (and duty) of the City Government, as provided for in the Local Government Code of 1991, to adopt imposition of community quarantine or focused containment of communities or zones as warranted,” Moreno’s May 28 letter reads in part.
Moreno said that while city hall is pleased with the reclassification, this could become a setback to city hall’s initiatives against Covid-19.
The initiatives include requiring people to stay at home, the City Health Office’s active health surveillance for acute respiratory infection and influenza-like illnesses, contact tracing of people who have had contact with patients suspected to have contracted the virus, among others.
Come June 1, Moreno said, the curfew hours would still be enforced while public intoxication would remain illegal in the city based on a city ordinance.
“Gamiton na lang gyud nato ang atong common sense. Huna-hunaa nga wala pa’y cure. Ikaw na mag-decide sa imong kaugalingon. Stay at home kung dili importante ang lakaw. Dili kay tungod nga gitugot na mugawas sa balay, mag laag-laag na lang pud,” Moreno said. (Cong B. Corrales)
