SEVEN months after the imposition of different levels of community quarantine in Dasol town, the town remains the only town in Pangasinan that has not reported a single possible case of COVID-19 infection among residents.

Mayor Noel Nacar said he attributes the town’s COVID-free status to the strict enforcement of the minimum health protocol recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and health experts among residents.

Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman, provincial health officer, confirmed that, indeed, Dasol has been COVID-free since March.

“Our townspeople are cooperating with the local government,” Nacar said. “If there are locally stranded individuals (LSI) arriving from outside the province, they make sure that proper coordination is done with us,” he added during an interview over Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan on Wednesday, September 30.

Although there is no COVID-19 case here, Nacar said the town government still distributes relief good packs, including face masks and shields and residents constantly reminded them to observe social distancing and frequent hand washing.

He said random swab tests among residents are being conducted regularly and not one has tested positive for the virus while disinfection operations are conducted in public facilities, offices and in the barangays continue regularly.

He said the if LSI gets through the checkpoints and has no travel authority and medical health certificate, the concerned Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) reports the case immediately to the Municipal Health Office and brings the LSI to the isolation facility to be quarantined.

He added that the LSI that cannot present a certification that he/she tested negative for COVID-19, the town government will administer a swab or rapid testing.

He said LSIs that arrived but did not report to authorities within 24 hours are fetched by the police and made to comply with the health protocol.

Meanwhile, the town has momentarily suspended taking in LSIs from outside the province to keep its isolation facility from reaching full capacity that would deprive residents’ access to the facility.

He belied claims of detractors that he is employing “military tactics” in implementing the protocols simply because the government is strict.

“So maybe they say it’s Martial law but no. That’s for the good of everybody and that’s under the guidelines,” Nacar said. (Jerick Pasiliao/PhilStar Wire Service/ECV)

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