DOH reminds public to comply with health standards to avoid COVID surge

February 6, 2021 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY, Feb. 5 (PIA) – The Department of Health – Cordillera Regional Office is reminding the public particularly those in Bontoc, Mountain Province to strictly adhere to the minimum health standards to prevent another surge of cases in the capital town.
During the Regional IATF meeting on Friday (Feb.5), the DOH-CAR reported that from a high-risk epidemic level classification, Mountain Province including the town of Bontoc.is now placed under moderate risk category. Despite the lowered risk epidemic category, DOH-CAR Regional Director Dr. Ruby Constantino stressed that people should comply with all the health and safety protocols and guidelines to prevent another surge of COVID-19 cases.
“Ngayong bumababa na ang kaso natin ng COVID-19 sa Mountain Province, we should set the mind of our people that we are still in a COVID-19 pandemic situation so we should really practice the minimum public health standards,” Constantino said.
It was found out that most of the COVID-19 cases in Bontoc were caused by the non-practice of the minimum health standards and other health and safety protocols by the people.
Many people are still doing their usual activities during the normal times such as the morning coffee and gatherings among the residents and the cultural practices being performed. Many people are not wearing facemasks.
“We know already the source of the COVID-19 in Bontoc, because we went back to business as usual, bumalik tayo na parang walang COVID, walang practice ng COVID-19 standard,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, RTF Chairman OCD-CAR Regional Director Albert Mogol reminded the different member agencies and the local government units to help in the enforcement of the minimum public health protocols and other health standards in their localities to ensure the prevention of the threat of the COVID-19.
Constantino also reminded the LGUs to ensure that COVID-19 patients are placed in isolation facilities and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities rather than placing them on home isolation. She said that there is a need to ensure the safety of the people by ensuring that COVID-19 positive cases would be placed in proper isolation facilities instead of home isolation which could cause infection of other members of the households.
(JDP/RMC-PIA CAR)