BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Plans are underway for the creation of a district-wide command center in the third congressional district of Negros Occidental to further strengthen and refine focus of the Covid-19 response triage.
This will be undertaken with the help of retired Gen. Mel Feliciano, the Inter Agency Task Force deputy chief implementer in the Visayas, Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd district) said.
“While they have established the first Covid-19 testing lab in Silay City, conducted expanded testing, facilitated the isolation of Locally Stranded Individuals and Returning Overseas Workers and all those infected, and established information systems for close monitoring and contact tracing of vectors of infection, there is still so much more to be done to ensure a unified, integrated and effective response to the surge of cases,” Benitez said.
Through the techniques implemented by Gen. Feliciano, Benitez said that the district will further improve its capability to isolate viral infections and implement quick and precise interventions to contain the spread of Covid-19 in advance of a further rise in cases.
The 3rd district recently reported the highest incidence of Covid-19 positive cases in Negros Occidental, except for Bacolod City lone district.
Benitez said 100 medical and healthcare frontliners of local government units in the 3rd district will undergo intensive training on more effective and efficient contract tracing for Covid-19 cases in communities, on Sept. 11 and 12 at the Victorias City Coliseum, with the help of the group of Feliciano.
“We are moving towards ensuring the District’s clustering to further strengthen health protocols implementation.” he said.
Benitez, Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen Paduano, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, and local chief executives of the 3rd district, including mayors Frederick Palanca, Marvin Malacon, Mark Golez, and Gerry Rojas, and Talisay City executive assistant Nicolai Jalandoni, representing Mayor Neil Lizares met with Feliciano Monday night in Victorias.
During the meeting, Feliciano shared with the group the best practices in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic in Cebu City, among others.
The local chief executives were also accompanied by key members of their respective local inter-agency Covid task forces.
Benitez lauded the efforts of Feliciano and his team for providing them more information and guidance in increasing the capacities of the LGU inter-agency task forces in managing the Covid 19 response triage in their respective communities – testing, tracing and treating and more importantly, the isolation or quarantine capacities.*
