12 Cebu City Villages Placed Under Tight Watch

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) is keeping a close watch on the 12 villages that recorded a high number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases before deciding to place them under a barangay-wide total lockdown.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu on Thursday said his team might put all or some of the villages under strict quarantine measures, including restrictions of people from entering or leaving the area.

The barangays under close monitoring as of Thursday are Sambag 2 which registered 128 active cases, followed by Kamputhaw with 123, Sambag 1 with 109, and Basak-San Nicolas with 104.

The barangays of Mabolo (82 active cases), Guadalupe (79), Lahug (78), Duljo-Fatima (77), Tinago (67), Tisa (65), Ermita and Tejero (45 each) are also placed under close watch.

The IATF is also considering placing sitios of 10 barangays here under a “sitio-level lockdown” to impose stricter control of the movement of the people.

These may be the villages of Lahug, Sambag 1, Tinago, Tejero, Duljo-Fatima, Guadalupe, Basak-San Nicolas, Mabolo, Tisa and Ermita.

The decreasing number of Covid-19 cases as well as many recoveries in Luz and Mambaling were considered reasons they were no longer included in the list of villages under tight monitoring.

Mayor Edgardo Labella, through his spokesperson, lawyer Rey Gealon, clarified that there is no takeover of the national government to the city, amid Cimatu’s presence after being appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to oversee the measures to stop the alarming rise of Covid-19 cases in the city.

“Giklaro sa mayor nga walay takeover. Ang lokal nga kagamhanan sa Dakbayan sa Sugbo padayon ug pabilin nga under control niining maong sitwasyon nato dinhi sa dakbayan (The mayor clarified that there is no takeover. The local government of the city of Cebu continues and remain to be in control of the city until now),” Gealon said in a statement.

Gealon also viewed the relationship between the mayor and Cimatu as “close coordination and cooperation”.

The mayor, he said, has been given the “final say” in recommending matters to the IATF and he would be consulted on solutions to be done for the city, Gealon said. (PNA)