R1MC director to mayors: Enforce health protocols strictly

By August 3, 2020Headlines, News

THE director of the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City has made an appeal to local chief executives in Pangasinan to review or revisit present provisions of quarantine measures and seek to strengthen these to address the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the province.

Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia made the appeal at a press conference told local newsmen last Wednesday as he warned of a clear indication that the province is experiencing an upsurge of COVID-19 cases due to local transmission.

He warned that if mayors do not act, their towns and cities will experience what happened in in Cebu City when it steadily registered the highest recorded confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country all because residents took the health protocols promulgated by the national government for granted, and did not take three measures seriously: wearing of face masks, observance of social distancing, frequent hand washing.

Based on latest data gathered from among cases brought to R1MC, Mejia said most recent 16 cases who tested positive did not have travel history, meaning the contagion was a local transmission, and 17 others with pending test results had no recent travels to Metro Manila.

“There is an upsurge of COVID cases now in Pangasinan and local transmission is positive,” Mejia intoned.

Meanwhile, Mejia vehemently denied news reports circulating that he wanted Pangasinan to be reverted to enhanced community quarantine or general community quarantine.

He said his statement was a warning that unless stricter implementation of the health protocol is observed, only stricter quarantine measures dictated by an enhanced community quarantine can help.

Mejia stressed that local executives need to balance the situation in containing COVID-19 spread and the economy as a whole while residents themselves limit their movements outside their homes.

“People move around freely, some do not wear masks nor observe social distancing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mejia said R1MC has zero contamination among its medical staff in the front line because they strictly observe protective measures. (PhilStar Wire Service/ECV)

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