By Joseph B.A. Marzan
The Iloilo City Government on Monday temporarily halted mass gatherings in the city for at least a week following the surge in confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in January.
Iloilo City’s COVID-19 Task Force chief, Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, stated in a press conference that the number of reported cases in Iloilo City rose between December 2020 and January 2021 due to celebrations and official meetings.
Based on the city’s official data, Covid-19 cases spiked by 18.64%, from 279 in December to 331 in January.
The daily average of new cases also rose to 11, from 4 in the beginning of January.
The city also logged 10 COVID-19 deaths recorded since January 1, including a 60-year-old nurse. Only 8 deaths were reported in December.
Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Jeck Conlu attributed the sharp rise in cases to physical meetings by government agencies which involved eating together in one area.
These include cases from offices of the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
According to Fortuna, 10 cases were confirmed from a regional gathering by the PCG held outside the city, with 4 cases confirmed on January 30, and 6 cases the following day.
Fortuna added that 50 more PCG personnel were swab tested on February 1 and 45 are to be tested today, February 2.
Conlu said that because of this, mass gatherings in the city will not be allowed until February 8, for both public and private sectors.
This will include sports programs, feeding programs, relief distribution, and cash transfer payouts, among others.
Fortuna, however, added that the city government’s Measles, Rubella, and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR OPV SIA) in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) will still continue.
As to the annual Jaro Fiesta, February 2, Conlu did not mention any prohibition, but he said the Covid-19 Team discouraged the public from visiting family and friends in Jaro.
He asked Jaro residents not to entertain visitors during the religious celebration, but to just pack fiesta food in portable containers.
“The Covid-19 Team decided that for the Jaro Fiesta tomorrow, accepting visitors in homes is highly discouraged. If it’s possible, let’s just set aside to limit visitors in their homes. Past cases come from eating together, so our barangays and the people of Jaro are discouraged. Although we wouldn’t want to, we are aware that there is nothing normal at this time. If it’s necessary and cannot be set aside, if they would really have visitors, people should start buying styrofoam and just pack the food,” Conlu said.
But the Jaro police and force multipliers will watch the vicinity of Jaro Plaza and Jaro Cathedral for violators of health protocols.
The Archdiocese of Jaro will also temporarily close the shrine of the Our Lady of Candles at the façade of the cathedral to avoid crowding.
The annual Jaro Agro-Industrial Fair will be limited to selling of plants and the usual rides and games were disallowed by the Association of Barangay Captains-Jaro, which organizes the fiesta.
NO POST-DINAGYANG CASES
Conlu also said that there were no cases recorded yet in relation to the Dinagyang Food Festival last January 20-24 in Mandurriao district.
The city government and venue management scrapped plans for a minimized street-level dining event due to the continued threat of Covid-19, and instead opted the Food Festival via take-out and delivery modes.
Conlu said Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas did not err in cancelling the on-site dining aspect of the event.
“If we can recall, during the Dinagyang Food Festival, many people were complaining that the food festival was all take-out. Mayor Jerry Treñas was not wrong in deciding against dine-in activities. So far, we haven’t been able to trace anything there because there was no dine-in during the food festival. Our cases happened because of regional gatherings which involved eating together,” said Conlu.
Fortuna also said that district medical officers have been tasked to provide a report to Treñas today on the cause of the COVID-19 spread in barangays and their coordinated responses with barangay officials.
The same scenario was also observed in Iloilo province as the Provincial Health Office noted a 75 percent spike in cases in January 2021.
Dr. Ma. Socorro Quiñon of the PHO said 642 cases were reported in January 2021 due to mass gatherings and public events, especially during the holidays. Total cases in December 2020 were 368 while November 2020 saw 524 cases.
