Third district representative Kristine Alexie Tutor favors the temporary suspension on locally stranded individuals’ (LSI) to let the frontliners rest and to ease the pressure on local government units (LGUs) to provide spaces in quarantine facilities where the LSIs are going to stay while under quarantine.
The lady solon bares her opinion in a radio interview over “Newsmakers ug Ubap Pa” on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, hosted by Ardy Batoy and Dave Albarado.
“I will go for a temporary suspension sa acceptance sa mga LSIs. Kay ngano, murag puno-puno na gayud sa akong panan-aw sa matag LGU, hurot-hurot na ang mga isolation and quarantine facilities,” she said.
She continued that the authorities should allow some LSIs to “graduate” or finish their quarantine after which, they could allow the arrival of the LSIs so there would be space available for the incoming LSIs in the various quarantine facilities in the province.
“Atong tan-awon ang capacity of the LGU ug capacity sa barangay, [unya]anha na ta mo accept ug klaro na naa sila (LSIs) insaktong kapaingnan,” Tutor said during the radio interview.
She said that temporary suspension of the arrival of LSIs may also address the increasing number of Covid positive cases in the province, where majority of the Covid positive patients are LSIs.
The temporary suspension will also allow the frontliners, who have been working almost 24/7, to rest for a few weeks and then return to serve the LSIs and the public.
As this developed, Tutor favors tha gradual return of LSIs as she saw how difficult it is for LGUs to accept LSIs who abruptly arrive here in the province. She favors the proper coordination of LSIs with the receiving LGU.
The abrupt influx of LSIs gave the local authorities headaches especially on where to put the LSIs who need to be under quarantine.
She reiterated the need for coordination between the returning LSIs and the LGU focal persons.
The provincial government is not entertaining the suspension of LSI arrivals here but favors a gradual return with proper coordination between the LGU and rhe LSIs.
Gov. Arthur Yap wrote a couple of weeks ago to Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) Sec. Carlito Galvez to allow the gradual return of LSIs with proper coordination with the LGUs.
Yap said the province can absorb up to 5,009 LSIs with a total quarantine facility capacity of 6,500 LSIs. The governor said there is a need to have a 1,500 bed buffer to accommodate the LSIs who “illegally” enter Bohol and for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who opt to stay in local quarantine facilities as they are unable to afford to stay in hotels or resorts which are designated as quarantine facilities.