The Iloilo City government said yesterday it will ask for an extension of its modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) classification until June 15 this year amid a notable increase of coronavirus disease 2019 cases and the current condition of health facilities.
For the past two days, the metropolis has recorded over a hundred cases of local transmission, daily based on the report of the City Health Office-City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.
On Thursday, the report showed 116 local cases, three returning overseas Filipinos, and one authorized person outside of residence while there were 101 local transmissions, one ROF, and four returning residents on May 26.
As of noon yesterday, the 10 hospitals based in the city recorded 195 Covid-19 admissions and 126 suspect cases, with 125 patients on the waiting list.
The city government wrote to the Department of Health on May 25 to increase the Covid-19 dedicated bed capacity of its accredited hospitals, and to augment the frontliners in medical and quarantine facilities.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, in his advisory, said the city requires “more vaccinators, underboard nurses, caregivers, and nursing aides”.
“I hope DOH can look for the 90 plus nurses needed. We need to have more beds dedicated to Covid so that we can attend to more Covid positive patients. We are now experiencing a surge,” the mayor said.
The city government will also hire 30 nursing aides to be assigned to hospitals.
Meanwhile, the extension on the total liquor ban until the end of June this year has been announced.
The ban, implemented since May 26, prohibits the sale and public consumption of any form of liquor or alcoholic beverages, or any alcoholic drink containing a specific percentage of alcohol by volume or weight.
Establishments found violating the order shall be meted appropriate penalties as provided for under the Iloilo City Tax Code while administrative or criminal charges await individuals, who knowingly break protocol.*PNA
