Cebu City to Help Residents of Locked Down ‘Sitio’

All 800 residents in Sitio (sub-village) Zapatera, Barangay Luz here will receive rice assistance from the city government while the area is placed under mandatory lockdown due to discovery of three confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, Mayor Edgardo Labella said on Monday.

“Considering that we have a lockdown, we found out there are about 800 families (in Sitio Zapatera). The city has decided to provide at least for the next eight to 10 days the 160 sacks of rice so that they don’t have to go out and probably add something more for their sud-an (viands),” Labella said.

Cebu City Hall decided to order the lockdown in Sitio Zapatera after discovering two more positive Covid-19 cases in the area on Black Saturday (April 11), in addition to the one confirmed case last April 8, who is still in the hospital.

The City Health Department (CHD) was able to trace the two “close friends” of the first Covid-19 patient through contact tracing, Labella said.

Medical officers are assigned to monitor the two new Covid-19 positive patients.

Due to the sitio-wide lockdown, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) officer-in-charge Joselito Ligan ordered an increase in the number of police and military personnel detailed in the area to monitor violations of the mandatory quarantine.

According to the DOH-7 Center for Health Development, Cebu City still has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases at 25 while the total number of “laboratory negative” rose to 15, after one additional negative result was came out on Sunday.

This city, which is still under enhanced community quarantine, still has the highest number of deaths with five out of eight in Central Visayas. (PNA)