Public told to avoid closed and crowded spaces
As part of the city government’s contingency plan against the Covid-19 Omicron variant, residents and visitors of the Summer Capital are urged to avoid the three C’s (closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings) including social gatherings with drinking and having long meals in large groups.
In the regular management committee meeting, Dec. 7, of local officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office chief Antonette Anaban said the public are also advised to avoid having conversations without wearing a face mask; living together in a small limited space (communal sharing); and switching locations.
She said the public is encouraged to restrict unvaccinated household members to their homes and seek medical assistance if feeling Covid-19 symptoms like fever, cough, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, and more.
These are under the contingency plan’s intensified risk communication and proactive community cooperation priority areas, Anaban said, with the Health Services and Public Information Offices as lead agencies.
She said information and education campaigns including constant reminders to the public on safety measures against Covid-19 and its variants and strict adherence to minimum public health standards should continue.
Other priority areas are ramp up vaccination of priority groups; stricter border control; continue granular lockdowns; monitoring of critical supplies and equipment; mandatory facility-based isolation/quarantine; strict monitoring of compliance with minimum public health standards; activation of contingency plans of hospitals including their accordion policy; restrictions of unvaccinated individuals in their homes unless with valid reasons; patient transport service; regulate mass/social gatherings; contact tracing; emergency hiring of health workers; tourism events; triage resources; and Covid-19 appropriation.
The contingency plan’s goals are to suppress transmission; reduce exposure; protect the vulnerable; Reduce mortality and morbidity from all causes , and save lives, Anaban said. – Gaby B. Keith
