Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday more law enforcement forces would be deployed in Cebu City after it was put under hard lockdown due to the increase of COVID-19 cases.
“Magdadagdag pa tayo ng pulis dito pati kagawad ng Armed Forces para makatulong dito kasi nakita natin na kailangan talaga maquarantine ‘yung mga tao sa kanilang mga bahay kasi malaki ‘yung numero eh, nasa 4,000 ang active cases natin dito,” Año said in a radio interview.
(We would add police officers and members of the Armed Forces to assist because we saw the people needed to be quarantined in their homes because they have 4,000 active cases.)
The decision to enforce hard lockdown in Cebu City came following the continuous increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city.
According to the latest data, Cebu City has 4,479 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The local government temporarily suspended the usage of quarantine passes on June 23 as the authorities re-evaluate its protocols to ensure that only one member of a household would get a quarantine pass.
Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac meanwhile, said they are yet to determine the number of police that would be deployed in Cebu City.
Earlier, 100 policemen from Western and Eastern Visayas were deployed in the city to assist during the enhanced community quarantine, as ordered by PNP chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa.
Also read: No more ‘new normal’; Philippines remain under quarantine
Apart from law enforcers, Año also said more health workforce would be deployed to the city to address the spike on COVID-19 cases.
“Magdadagdag ng doktor, nurses at meron din cycle na pagkatapos magtrabaho, quarantine mo sila kahit sabihin natin hindi tinamaan para makapahinga din at dapat ‘yung ating mga health workers hindi na uuwi ng bahay,” he said.
(We would also add doctors, nurses, and there would also be a cycle of work. They would be quarantined whether they are not infected so they could also get rest. Our health workers would not go home.)
“Iha-house natin’ yan sa mga hotel, at mga accommodation na malapit sa hospital nila kasi tatamaan din ‘yung pamilya noong ating mga health workers. But in fairness, bilib kami magagaling ‘yung ating mga doktor dito,” he added.
(We would in-house them in hotels and accommodations near the hospital because the families of our health workers would be also be affected. But in fairness, we were impressed. The doctors here were excellent.)