Bulacan presents COVID initiative to RTF CODE Team
CITY OF MALOLOS- Governor Daniel R. Fernando presented the major accomplishments of the Province of Bulacan in terms of COVID response to the Regional Task Force (RTF) 3 – Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team during their meeting with the Provincial Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 of Bulacan last Friday, September 3, 2021.
Fernando briefed the RTF-CODE Team on Bulacan COVID including the establishment of PTF COVID-19; Incident Command Team for COVID-19; COVID-19 facilities including the Bulacan Infection Control Center, Bulacan Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, and Bulacan Mega Quarantine Facility; implementation of the COVID-19 Surge Capacity Plan; strict implementation of community quarantine; economic and social recovery; and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management initiatives of the province.
He highlighted the importance of balancing the health and economic aspects that became key in beating the pandemic.
“Sa panahon na ito ay yumabong ang maliliit na negosyo online at nagkaroon ng malaking ambag upang mapanatiling masigla ang lokal na ekonomiya sa lalawigan ng Bulacan. Sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan sa DTI, DOLE, at TESDA, napabuti po ang kabuhayan at trabaho na naging determinant ng economic recovery sa ating lalawigan at sa buong bansa,” the governor said.
Also, PTF Response Cluster Head Dr. Hjordis Marushka Celis reported the COVID situation in the province and said that cases are still on increasing trend, but a slowdown has been observed for the last two weeks.
She also mentioned that the highest active cases of Bulacan are coming from the City of Malolos with 623, City of San Jose del Monte with 539, City of Meycauayan with 368, Santa Maria with 329, and Balagtas with 311.
In addition, PCol. Lawrence Cajipe shared their implementation of border control by establishing 29 Quarantine Control Points and 40 Law Enforcement Check Points all over the province.
Meanwhile, Fernando suggested the hiring of contact tracers under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to supplement the need of the province for strict contact tracing due to the increasing number of cases which the RTF will raise to the DOLE national office.
The RTF-CODE Team Meeting chaired by Office of the Civil Defense 3 Regional Director Cesar M. Idio aims to analyze the operational actions, strategy executions, and other programs implemented by local government units regarding the continuous fight against the pandemic including the rising number of COVID cases due to variants of concern. ###