BY MARCHEL P. ESPINA
The business community in Bacolod has expressed optimism after Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas chief deputy implementer, Melquiades Feliciano, detailed his virus containment protocol for the city.
Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, said that Feliciano met with them and the medical community on Tuesday, and updated them about the containment plan.
Feliciano had asked the business and medical communities to give him two weeks to work on the containment protocol.
During their meeting, Carbon said that Feliciano told them that right now, once swab results are out, positive patients were immediately extracted from his or her home and brought to an isolation facility.
The patient’s house will be immediately locked down, while household members will be subjected to swab tests, Carbon said.
A similar protocol will be applied in the offices or establishments if the positive patient works on-site, he added.
Carbon said they welcomed this granular lockdown since it will lessen the local transmission in households and offices, and will not lead to closure or halt of economic activities.
The business community was not too keen on Bacolod being placed under modified enhanced community quarantine due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the city.
Starting today, the city will be under the general community quarantine status, with public transportation allowed to resume on a limited capacity.
Carbon said they are upbeat now that the containment protocol is being actively implemented.
Moreover, he said that Feliciano asked the help of the community in curbing the spread of the virus.
He said that barangay officials should also strictly monitor the implementation of health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and shields, and practicing physical distancing.*