Parañaque to isolate all virus patients 

Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez asked the City Health Office to isolate persons infected with coronavirus disease 2019 before placing the concerned barangays under “strict community quarantine (SCQ).”

Olivarez ordered Dr. Olga Virtusio, city health officer, to confine all confirmed COVID-19 patients, now reaching 635 cases as of May 15, at the isolation facilities designated by the city government.

Olivarez reported that the city recorded 40 fatalities and 259 recoveries, while 92 patients were discharged last Friday. The city recorded a total of 601 COVID-19 cases on May 13, then 624 cases on May 14, and 635 cases last May 15.

The mayor reminded Virtusio that the approach of the city is to isolate or place any individuals in a quarantine once found positive with the virus or those that are found to be probable or suspected cases.

He also announced that he would be issuing an executive order for the SCQ in barangays with the highest COVID-19 cases under the MECQ.

As of May 15, Barangay San Dionisio posted 82 cases; San Antonio, 79; BF Homes, 66; Don Bosco, 60; Moonwalk, 58; and Baclaran, recorded 49.

Olivarez disclosed that three barangays are under immediate concern—namely, San Dionisio, San Antonio, and Baclaran.

For the past 10 days, the COVID-19 cases in Barangay BF Homes remained at 66 cases, so the village will not be included in the lockdown. On the other hand, the cases in Barangay Baclaran hit 49 in just four days, from 41 cases.

“The COVID-19 cases in Barangays BF Homes and Don Bosco are stabilizing for one week, unlike in Barangay Baclaran,” Olivarez pointed out.

He said that there will be a reasonable lockdown on the streets and sitios on the said three barangays.

“Possibly, a reasonable lockdown may be implemented also on particular streets or sitios were COVID-19 incidents are alarming, but not on the entire barangay,” he explained after a consultation with concerned barangay officials.

Immediately after isolating the patients in the said barangays, the city government would conduct rapid testing on 3,000 individuals on each of the barangays and conduct contact tracing.