Tabuk City, Kalinga – With the pronouncement of the national government’s COVID-19 task force placing Kalinga under alert level 4 from January 21 to 31, 2022, members of the Provincial Inter-agency Task Force on Friday, January 21, crafted a contingency plan to lower the alert level with the reduction of cases and health care utilization rates.
Some of the measures agreed upon by PIATF members include the application of Phil health-accredited temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) or infirmaries for COVID19 home isolation benefit package for asymptomatic and mild cases to undergo Home Isolation.
The patient flow or referral system previously created for health care providers in the province will also be modified and is expected to be forwarded to all health care facilities on Wednesday next week for implementation.
In connection, Kalinga Provincial Hospital will accommodate moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 cases while individuals who are asymptomatic and mild cases will be referred to TTMFs, Rural Health Units (RHUs), or Infirmaries located within the patient’s locality.
Likewise, the One Hospital Command Center will soon be activated, and while the patient referral system is undergoing modification, the old referral system will be utilized for the time being to lower the health care utilization rate.
Further, to lessen the risk of possible virus transmission, outbound travelers particularly those coming from red-tagged areas and those who have exceeded 72 hours stay outside Kalinga will undergo triage or present negative RTPCR results taken within 72 hours or negative Rapid Antigen Test or Saliva Test taken 12 hours before entry.
Management of inbound and outbound travelers
To manage inbound and outbound travelers, the Provincial Administrator along with the Provincial Health Office, PDRRMO, and Information Office is tasked to conduct an orientation with the Philippine National Police (PNP) on SPASS, and the management of provincial control points as well as checking of travel requirements.
Accordingly, Kalinga PLGU will focus on eight identified provincial control points or borders while LGUs and their LCEs are encouraged to create strategies in protecting their jurisdictions.
Aside from these plans, among the actions that should be prioritized at present is the recommendation of City/Municipal Health Officers on the content of the Executive Orders needed to be signed by their respective Local Chief Executives including curfew hours, regulation of the unvaccinated, work arrangements, reactivation of Barangay Isolation Units, strengthening BLGUs and to convene the C/MIATFs.
Suggestion on crafting local ordinances for vaccination
Meantime, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Director Max Mayer Adong has also urged LGUs to craft a local ordinance, making Covid-19 vaccine a pre-requisite before an individual could avail of some government services but should make sure that they will consider cultural, religious, and other special considerations at the discretion of the respective LGUs to determine.
As for the governor, he encouraged the city and municipal health officers to work hand in hand with LCEs in the crafting of localized executive orders citing Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as "The Local Government Code of 1991" which provides for the duties and responsibilities of LCEs for the protection of their constituents.
He said that LGUs can also ‘come up with their own guidelines since it has the implied power to do all things necessary, appropriate, or incidental to govern efficiently and effectively, promote the general welfare, promote, health and safety, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants’.
“Agtitinnulong tayo. The Provincial government is urging, recommending, suggesting, to the government executives of the different municipalities to have their executive orders ta adda met ti kanya kanyang situation tayo ti bawat municipalities isu nga kitan yu ti aramiden u tapnu makita nu anya maitulong ti province,” Tubban said.
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