Zambo Norte braces for lifting of General Community Quarantine

DAPITAN CITY, Philippines  – Zamboanga del Norte health officials Tuesday, May 26, likened the lifting of the travel ban in their province on June 1, to the opening of floodgates. 

With barely a week before the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) is withdrawn and provincial borders are opened, they are apprehensive over Zamboanga del Norte’s readiness to face the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Department of Health (DOH) provincial team leader said, “ready or not, we have to cope with it.”

“We have to rely on each other to do our share in helping prevent COVID-19 from spreading,” said Dr Jane Jaug, DOH team leader for Zamboanga del Norte. “We have to rely on the ability of our LGUs (local government units) to move its machineries, our barangay officials, everybody, to implement our protocols.”

But as of May 24, they found out that only 3 of the province’s 25 municipalities and one of its two cities have respective “Ligtas COVID 19 Centers” (isolation/quarantine areas) which passed the preliminary assessment by the DOH prior to final evaluation and consequent accreditation for PhilHealth assistance.

Jaug said those that passed the preliminary assessment were Dapitan City, the province’s Ligtas COVID 19 Center located in Dipolog City, and the municipalities of Piñan, Roxas and Sirawai.

Asked about Governor Roberto Uy’s pronouncement a month ago in a national television interview with Communications Undersecretary Martin Andanar that Zamboanga del Norte has been ready since January of everything it needed to fight COVID 19, including food supply, Jaug said, “we can work on what we have.”

“But it would be best if all municipalities and Dipolog City will have accredited Ligtas COVID 19 Centers although all their leaders have signified intention for DOH evaluation and accreditation to PhilHealth,” Jaug told Rappler in a phone interview May 25.

Meanwhile, one of Zamboanga del Norte’s two adult pulmonologists, Dr Philip Limsi, told Rappler May 26 said: “Our President wishes those stranded to be back to their provinces, we have to follow national orders. What can we do? Quarantine lang jud. (Just put them in quarantine.)”

Jaug stressed all airports and seaports in the province are required to implement rapid testing and two-week quarantine during the influx here of the repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“That I understand is our first line of defense, those found positive will be swab tested. Patients with mild symptoms will be sent to local hospitals as the second line of defense and those with severe symptoms will be brought to the ZN Medical Center,” added Dr Rolito Cataluña, incident commander of Dapitan City Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Cataluña also said that Dapitan has an initial P20 million allocation for preparation of mass arrivals. Included in this preparation is converting the government-owned Resort Hotel into Ligtas COVID 19 Center with initial 60 beds. At present, the Resort Hotel has 6 OFWs who returned May 24.

“We can still increase the capacity if needed, or if there is a surge of COVID-19 infection, God forbid, we have already identified other facilities. Even Dakak Beach Resort has readied two of their facilities to be used as Ligtas COVID 19 Centers if Dapitan City requests,” said Cataluña.

When the travel ban is lifted, Cebu, with a relatively huge COVID-19 infection rate, would just be 45 minutes by plane to Dipolog, or 8 hours by boat to Dapitan. Meanwhile, the equally COVID-19 stricken Zamboanga City is adjacent to Zamboanga del Norte.

Manila is also an hour and 10 minutes from Dipolog. – Rappler.com