BIATF asks mayors to consider stricter quarantine restrictions 

The Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) is asking the Bohol mayors to consider the change in the quarantine restrictions in Bohol in the face of increasing Covid cases here.

According to a report from the Provincial Information and Media Relations (PRIMER) office, Gov. Arthur Yap and members of the BIATF called an emergency meeting yesterday, Sept. 4, 2021, with the Bohol mayors and some members of the Bohol medical community in attendance.

The meeting sought to ask the mayors to consider the elevation of the current quarantine restriction to a stricter one.

Currently, Bohol is under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), which is the most lenient form of quarantine restriction.

The meeting is all about the mayors to look at the possibility of putting the province under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), or modified ECQ (MECQ), or general community quarantine (GCQ).

In a telephone interview, Tagbilaran mayor John Geesnell Yap II confirmed the meeting’s agenda and said there was no consensus reached as the mayors may need to have more time to study the situation.

He confirmed that the mayors were asked if they are amendable to a stricter quarantine classification considering the surge in the Coronavirus disease (Covid) cases here.

According to the PRIMER, the number of Covid cases double in every 3 weeks. The doctors, according to the same report, are worried that cases might double in just 7 days if the quarantine restrictions remain the same.

DOCTORS‘ POSITION

The governor, as BIATF chairman, consulted some doctors prior to the mayor’s meeting yesterday.

Dr. Ellan Lyll Salada, Dr. Kazan Benigno Baluyot, and Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno were among the doctors who met with the governor virtually to discuss the Covid situation in the province.

Salada proposed that Bohol should be placed under ECQ considering that health care facilities are already filled to capacity and the cases might surge further. She said that failure to strictly implement the protocol might lead to more cases here.

Baluyot echoed Salada’s opinion that cases might surge if the sets of protocol are not implemented properly.

However, Baluyot said changing the quarantine restriction is not that important because the problem lies in the failure of some local government units (LGU) in strictly implementing the health and safety protocol.

He added that the sets of protocol have already been in place since last year.

However, some LGUs are not properly implementing the protocol, while there are people who are no longer observing the protocol, falling into complacency, which is a sign of Covid fatigue.

On the other hand, Macuno backed the position of Salada. Macuno is afraid that the health care system will be overwhelmed and the frontliners will become too tired, weak, and possibly get infected.

Macuno added that it is time to consider placing Bohol under stricter quarantine restrictions despite its ill-effects on the economy.

MAYOR’S MEETING

The governor already floated the idea of stricter quarantine restrictions during the meeting on Sept. 3, 2021.

However, the mayors were adamant regarding the idea. It is for this reason that the governor asked for another meeting which took place yesterday.

According to the PRIMER, the mayors, during the meeting yesterday with some of the doctors, are open to the idea of stricter quarantine restrictions in Bohol.

However, they have yet to agree on the level of quarantine restrictions, the report adds.

San Miguel mayor Virgilio Mendez even went as far as floating the idea of asking the regional IATF to place his town under ECQ or MECQ.

In the same meeting, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial director Jerome Gonzales was asked about the implications of placing Bohol under stricter quarantine restrictions.

The governor asked about the comparison among the different quarantine restrictions and their respective possible impact. He also asked whether or not a GCQ with heightened restrictions can be implemented. 

This means that Bohol will be placed under GCQ but also observe some rules found in the implementation of ECQ and MECQ.

Gonzales said the GCQ with heightened restrictions is possible but needs the approval of the regional IATF.

The governor ordered the BIATF secretariat to make a summary of the details of the different quarantine restrictions and present these to the mayors in the next meeting scheduled any time this coming week.

A consensus is expected to come in this coming week’s meeting that could decide the future quarantine classification of Bohol, the report bares.

POSSIBLE CHANGES

The PRIMER report mentioned the possible changes when the quarantine classification becomes stricter.

It is possible that the restaurant dine-in and religious gatherings will be reduced from 50% of venue capacity to 30%.

Moreover, more police checkpoints will be set up in the province.

There is also a possibility of implementing curfew on non-essential establishments and the re-imposition of curfew hours on minors and the senior citizens.