Quezon City to deploy quarantine officers 

Quezon City has formed QC Laban Covid-19, a team of quarantine officers tasked to monitor areas within barangays that will be placed under special concern lockdown for 14 days due to the high number of coronavirus disease 2019 incidents. The first set of areas will be placed under special concern lockdown beginning Wednesday, May 13.

Comprising the team are elements from the City Health Department (CHD), the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Special Action Force (SAF), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR), under Brig. Gen. Alex Luna.

According to Assistant City Administrator for Operations Alberto Kimpo, the City Health Department led by its Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU), will be accompanied by two personnel from the QCPD and three from the AFP, including one regular officer and two reservists.

“They will be deployed to locations that will be placed under special concern lockdown to ensure that quarantine processes are strictly followed,” said Kimpo.

The quarantine officers are also mandated to conduct information dissemination, explaining to the general population their part on how to combat the spread of COVID-19 in their community.

The City Health Department will in turn be conducting extensive testing in these areas to make sure they are covid-free after the 14 day period ends.

Dr. Rolly Cruz, head of the QC-ESU, said more than 200 members of the QCPD-AFP-SAF contingent will undergo training to guarantee that all quarantine rules are implemented to the letter.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cruz explained that the selection of areas that will be placed under special concern lockdown is based from the results of community based testing conducted by the CHD and the QC-ESU. An initial five areas have been identified.

“If clustering was observed in these areas, meaning two or more households in each area have positive cases, it is very likely they will end up under the special concern lockdown,” said Dr. Cruz.

The City Health Department may also place urban poor and highly-dense locations in barangays under special concern lockdown if there is presence of clustering.

Mayor Joy Belmonte assures that the local government will provide food and other relief for residents of affected areas until such time as the special concern lockdown is lifted, and appeals to all citizens in these areas to cooperate fully.