Alarming situation in Pangasinan

By Leonardo Micua

 

SO, it is not true that COVID-19 is on the way out given our recent experience in Pangasinan.

The latest update on COVID-19 cases provided us by the Provincial Health Office through the Provincial Information Office showed there were 157 active cases already registered and are being treated in hospitals and isolation facilities in the whole province as of September 16.

This, to my mind, is already quite alarming if you consider the fact that there are more new confirmed cases being reported now than those who have recovered and released from hospitals and isolation facilities.

We heard that if the cases will continue to rise, the government hospitals and LGU isolation facilities mandated to admit patients afflicted with COVID-19 may soon reach their full capacities.

The only last resort would be to revert us back to General Community Quarantine to slow down the transmission of the disease that’s believed to have been transported here by Locally Stranded Individuals who arrived from Metro Manila.

This was aired by Dr. Anna de Guzman, provincial health officer, when she noted that 49 new confirmed cases were reported last September 15, which she described as the highest single day soar of COVID-19 cases yet since the contagion began in Pangasinan.

Many hopes it will not come to this because an upgrade of our quarantine status will surely affect our chances towards attaining economic recovery after being hit hard by the pandemic for more than six months.

But on the other hand, if given the choice between health and economy, I would gladly choose the first.

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As we were writing this column, Dagupan was placed on top of the COVID-19 watch list of the Provincial Health Office. There is no doubt about it after it has recorded 43 active cases as of September 16.  

This not-so-good citation coincidentally came right after the city government reopened the Tondaligan Park but failed to enforce the physical/social distancing protocol as well as the wearing of face masks. 

Before this, the city government also relaxed its guard at the Magsaysay Fish Market, where even traders of Bulacan bangus were not restricted to enter, knowing fully well that they came from one of the epicenters of the pandemic. 

It was only after the fish market was temporarily closed for disinfection and members of the consignacion had their rapid tests did the city government realize the urgent need to enforce some restrictions there. 

We heard that market personnel are no longer allowing anyone, even those simply buying fish for their dinner, to enter the Magsaysay Fish Market without proof certification that the person tested negative in latest rapid antibody test. 

Consequently, many were caught unaware of this new restriction and vowed not to buy fish in the market. Some said they would rather buy bangus from Binmaley or Lingayen. 

It was already too late in the day to enforce the restriction. If the city officials had acted proactively, when the carriers would not have not infected any member of the consignacion or their helpers. 

Now, trucks bringing in fish for wholesale in the fish market are being meticulously asked to produce negative rapid test results, aside from their shipping permits. Without these—and if they will not resort to short-cuts and put some grease in someone’s pocket, they will be turned back where they came from.

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The SM Group of Companies that owns malls in Rosales, Urdaneta and Dagupan City, is asking the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass an ordinance shortening the curfew hours in Pangasinan from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The two-hour reduction of the curfew, according to SM will serve the best interests of businesses whose workers return to their homes for the night.

The SP will hear SM and other stakeholders in their next session on September 21.

In Dagupan, the SP just passed an amended ordinance on September 8 fixing the curfew from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. at the instance of the city executive with no public hearing.

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