Aklan cancels public events in next 45 days to lessen coronavirus risks

AKLAN, Philippines – Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores issued an order on Thursday, March 12, to cancel or postpone all public events and large community gatherings amid rising cases of the coronavirus disease in the country. 

Although there are no positive cases in Aklan, a tourist destination, Miraflores said added measures were needed to safeguard residents in the province, as recommended by Aklan’s Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on March 9.

Miraflores also cancelled activities lined up for the 64th Aklan Day celebration on April 25. He said this was to reduce the risks of community transmission of the virus.

He signed Executive Order 18 on March 12, directing big transportation companies to check the body temperature of passengers at their terminals with handheld thermal scanners. Malls, department stores, and other establishments are required to provide hand sanitizers to their customers. 

The order is effective immediately and enforceable within 45 days.

The governor also cited the public health emergency proclamation of President Rodrigo Duterte on March 8 and the code red alert issued by the Department of Health.

For now, health authorities also advise Aklanon residents arriving at or returning to Aklan from affected countries to observe home care quarantine, monitor symptoms, and coordinate with health response teams in the barangays. 

The Provincial Health Office earlier reported 82 persons under monitoring and 9 persons under investigations in Aklan from January 17 to March 12. All 9 cases were discharged from the Aklan provincial hospital after they tested negative for the virus, according to results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. – Rappler.com