The San Carlos City Government will set up this week its Emergency Operations Center.
The EOC opening comes upon the recommendation of retired Maj. Gen. Melquiades Feliciano, chief implementer for the Visayas of the Inter-Agency Task Force.
Joe Recalex Alingasa, San Carlos City public information officer for COVID-19 said that the setting up of the center is one of the recommendations made by Feliciano during his Oct. 31 visit.
“Coordinated and collaborative responses and resources utilization in stabilizing our local situation as we fight the pandemic will be generated in the center,” Alingasa said.
Feliciano recommended that the EOC should operate 24/7 with trained contact tracers and swabbers, Alingasa said, adding that swab testing results must be available within 48 hours.
The city should also discourage home isolation, lockdown and close contacts with COVID-19 positive patient, the recommendation further said.
Feliciano assured the city that he will send experts to help contain the local transmission of COVID-19 in the city.
As of Nov. 2, the city reported 278 positive cases. The number is more than 300 percent compared with the 33 cases reported two weeks ago at 83 cases. To date, the city registered 150 recoveries and 13 deaths.
City Mayor Renato Gustilo disclosed the consultation with Feliciano also resulted in the decision to open on Oct. 31 the city borders after several months of strict control.
Checkpoints in Barangays Buluangan, Punao and Prosperidad lossened up to realign forces and focus on curbing the local transmission of the virus.
PNP Officer-in-charge Maj. Mark Angelo Junco said that demobilized border personnel will be assigned to help the local government in the campaign to check local coronavirus transmission.
He also clarified that easing the borders does not mean that residents can now cross anytime they want as trips should be than with valid reasons, especially to restricted areas which require residents to secure travel authorization from the PNP.
