{"id":1256819,"date":"2020-04-10T19:40:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T11:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/?p=1256819"},"modified":"2020-04-10T19:43:17","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T11:43:17","slug":"no-roaming-barangays-with-no-cases-must-be-protected-to-the-max-garbin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/1256819\/no-roaming-barangays-with-no-cases-must-be-protected-to-the-max-garbin","title":{"rendered":"No roaming: ‘Barangays with no cases must be protected to the max’ \u2013 Garbin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MANILA, Philippines \u2014 There should be \u201cabsolutely no people roaming\u201d in barangays (communities) with no reported cases of the novel coronavirus disease, a lawmaker said Friday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cBarangays with no cases must be protected to the max. Absolutely no people roaming,\u201d AKO BICOL Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin said in a statement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Garbin said that local government units (LGUs), particularly those with confirmed COVID-19 cases, patients under investigation (PUIs), and persons under monitoring (PUMs) should likewise focus on data in their vicinity, and not on the national data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThey must focus on their micro situation and of the neighboring cities and towns,\u201d the lawmaker said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Further, Garbin said barangays with confirmed cases should segregate and isolate the COVID-19 positive, PUIs, PUMs, and frontliners in adequate temporary care facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to get ahead of the virus, not simply run after it. Anticipating where it could go next, stop it from getting there, and push it back with containment and isolation measures,\u201d Garbin said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cLet the administrators, department heads, and other officials address the economic and social impact. The LGU chief executive must stay focused on COVID-19 itself,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
The lawmaker also underscored the importance of enhanced testing during the quarantine imposed in the Luzon region.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cEnhanced Community Quarantine cannot flatten the curve without enhanced testing. In the absence of more systematic testing even for only the most vulnerable sectors (medical workers, PUIs, PUMs, the elderly, it’s difficult to rely on current official data,\u201d Garbin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost likely, gross underreporting of actual cases on the ground is what we are faced with at the moment,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n