Boholanos have expressed opposition against the home quarantine of locally stranded individuals following the steep rise of coronavirus disease (COVID) 19 cases among newly arrived LSIs last week.
The clamor against the home quarantining for arriving Boholanos erupted after authorities reported that all of the province’s 17 active COVID-19 cases are LSIs.
In a survey over station dyRD’s top-rated “Inyong Alagad” program on Monday, callers raised their apprehensions over the provincial government’s decision to give municipalities the option to either place their LSIs and returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) under hotel, government facility or home quarantine.
The Capitol’s directive was based on the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) memorandum ordering the “unhampered transit” of LSIs and ROFs to their hometowns.
Most of the callers favored facility quarantine over home quarantine casting doubt over LSIs’ commitment to observe physical distancing protocols inside their houses where government monitoring would be limited.
“Dako ng wrong, dili na angayan. Og mao nay buhaton mo spread nana (COVID-19) sa entiro Bohol moabot pa sa ubang lugar so labong gamay gamay pa na aron di na mo katap naa may mga quarantine facility na giandam sa mga LGU adto nalang sila,” a caller from Dauis said.
Another caller from Jagna appealed to Governor Art Yap for him to take charge of the situation and rescind the earlier directive which gave local government units the option to subject their LSIs under home quarantine.
“Dapat si governor Yap dili mo hatag og discretion sa mga mayor. Iyaha g’yud ng ibalaod na kagamay sa Bohol na dapat naa g’yud siya’y pagpasabot na tanang mayor mo sunod sa iyang balaod,” she said.
Yap in a press conference on Monday said that he would still have to consult mayors on whether or not to remove the option to subject LSIs under home quarantine.
“I am going to discuss this matter with the mayors. Naa miy regular meeting this week, and we will put it in the agenda. I will listen to the mayors on their opinions if sila pud mosugot sila ang tangtanga ra ang third option,” he said.
According to Yap, having multiple options for LSI quarantine would ensure their hastened homecoming.
Home quarantine could be among those options as long as protocols are followed within the house while the quarantine is ongoing.
“Kung gusto nato mopadayon pa ang pagpauli sa LSI ug ma-increase pa ang pacing sa pagpauli nila, kinahanglan nag explore ta og other options, dili ra na ipabilin ra na ipadayon nato ang pagdawat base sa number ng mga katre sa quarantine facility na available ,” he said.
However, a Tagbilaran City resident through the same radio survey said that it would be difficult to ensure that physical distancing measures will be followed inside houses particularly in smaller ones with just one or two rooms.
“Not to put down other households pero there are some households naay usa or duha ra ka kwarto, what if ang maong taw na LSI adto lang sa usa, so it’s possible na mogawas na sila, mo tan-aw og TV, mao naay tendency na mo spread,” the caller said.
There are currently 17 active COVID-19 cases in Bohol and all of them are LSIs who have since been isolated after testing positive in polymerase chain reaction tests.
The LSIs are from Tagbilaran City (3), Candijay (3), Sagbayan (2), Balilihan, Talibon (2), Tubigon 2, Inabanga, San Isidro and Loon 2. (rt)