Cotabato City remains COVID-19 free but mayor reminds public vs. panic buying, misinfo

COTABATO CITY - Amid the spread of the dreaded Novel Corona Virus Acute Respiratory Disease in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, Cotabato City remains free of this virus.

This has been confirmed by the City Health Office during the recent emergency meeting of the Local Health Board and the Task Force COVID-19 this week.

But because of the National State of Health Emergency declared by President Rodrigo Duterte, the city government and the other stakeholders of the city deemed it necessary to enact precautionary measures to prevent the virus from infecting the city’s residents.

City Health Officer Meyasser Patadon emphasized the need for all concerned agencies to work hand in hand especially in the information drive that will be conducted in order to prevent and contain the disease.

One of the immediate actions that the city government has done is the creation of Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) in the barangays. As of date, all of the 37 barangays in the city have already organized their own BHERTs.

“The BHERTs will serve as our eyes and ears to make sure that the residents in their areas of responsibility are fully informed about COVID-19. Still, they will not be able to cover everyone in the city this is why we will be needing the help of other sectors,” Patadon said.

Aside from the information drive that will be conducted by the BHERTs, they will also be visiting the arriving passengers from COVID-19 affected countries.

The city government will also be strengthening its coordination with the different law enforcement agencies and the military for more intensified checkpoints. Thermal scanners will soon be provided by the city government and will be distributed to these checkpoints, as well as to government offices, schools, and other institutions.

The Task Force COVID-19 will also come up with a plan of action to ensure that people coming in the city who show signs and symptoms of the disease will immediately be isolated and checked.

Meanwhile, City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi reminds the public to avoid panic buying of masks, alcohol and other disinfectants. She assures the public that the city is still COVID-19 free and safe. She also emphasized that there is still no need for a lockdown and cancellation of classes.

“We will make sure that we are ready, our health personnel and facilities are ready, and that everyone is well informed about COVID-19 and ways on how we can prevent this disease from spreading in our city”, Mayor Guiani-Sayadi said.

To further enjoin the participation of the public in keeping Cotabato City safe from any form of disease, the city government will be scheduling a massive clean-up and disinfection drive that will involve schools, government agencies, private institutions, commercial places, and others.