47 towns, Tagbilaran ‘100%’ compliant with order for creation of anti-COVID 19 TWG

All municipalities of the province and Tagbilaran City are “100 percent” compliant with the national government’s call for them to establish an inter-agency task force against the Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19.

According to Assistant Provincial Health Office Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez, each of Bohol’s 47 towns and Tagbilaran City now have their own anti-COVID 19 technical working groups (TWG) as confirmed during a meeting of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Bohol on Monday.

Last last month, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) advised all local government units (LGUs) to create a COVID 19 task force in a bid to contain the spread of the disease in the country.

Lopez said that all of the province’s 1,109 barangays have also established a Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT), which was tasked to look after those deemed as Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs) for COVID 19.

There are no Patients Under Investigation (PUI) for COVID 19 in Bohol but there are 12 PUMs.

A BHERT is composed of the barangay captain and councilors, tanods or village watchmen and a nurse or midwife.

Lopez however noted that it would be difficult for barangays to comply with the DILG’s directive for villages to have their own isolation units.

“Kadtong bahin sa barangay isolation unit, daghan kaayong mga lungsod ang di maka kaya, kay aha man sila og [resources],” he said.

DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya earlier said the local task force, under the direct leadership of the governor or the mayor, shall ensure that local health authorities have the necessary equipment and protective gadgets such as masks, goggles, gowns and gloves, among others.

According to Malaya, local chief executives should also facilitate the training of their respective health workers on COVID 19 prevention, containment, and control, in coordination with the Department of Health.

He also urged LGUs to conduct city and municipality-wide coronavirus prevention, containment, and control information campaigns to educate the public. (R. Tutas)