CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews /15 May – The city government has imposed a longer curfew and prohibited the sale of intoxicating liquor amid a spike of COVID-19 cases in the city.
From May 15 to May 31, Mayor Oscar Moreno said curfew would be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. instead of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Selling liquor is prohibited during the curfew. Establishments violating the ban will be penalized with cancellation of business permits, according to Executive Order 0-41 signed by Moreno on May 14.
“The continuing rise of COVID-19 cases pose clear threats to the Critical Care Utilizaton Rate of our hospital system,” he said.
The City Health Office in its May 15 report recorded 78 new cases, bringing to 876 the total number of active cases out of the total 5,770 since March last year.
Of 87 active cases, 219 are admitted in hospitals while 657 are in temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
Of 5,770 total number of cases since March last year, 4,650 have recovered while 244 have died.
City Hall spokesperson Maricel Casino-Rivera, said data from contact tracers indicate many of those who were infected had attended funeral wakes, family reunions, parties or dined together in workplaces.
“We have been urging the public to stay at home and if they go out, they should have a face mask, face shield and alcohol,” Rivera said
Moreno said the spike of COVID-19 cases has strained the hospital system including the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), which is the referral center for the serious cases in Region 10.
He said the NMMC has dedicated three of its six floors for serious COVID-19 cases and plans to add several Intensive Care Units.
Moreno said the city government is already using the newly inaugurated Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases’ (CERIED) 50-bed hospital in Barangay San Simon for the not so serious COVID-19 cases.
He said they also converted several hotels in the city for those who tested positive but were asymptomatic.
Moreno said he the city government bought eight units of high flow oxygenation machines bringing the number to 13. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
