City Information Office of Mabalacat LGU reacts to the article posted by iOrbit last October 1, 2020. While the holding area for the swabbed asymptomatic contacts is carefully being put up, the news outlet’s claim that the city currently does not have a quarantine facility is inaccurate and misleading.
According to Jay Pelayo IV of CIO, there is already an existing quarantine facility for the city as opposed to what the news article wrote. The holding area is not meant for COVID-19 positive patients but rather it’s for people who got swabbed for testing. “Kapag naswab ang tao, kailangan muna siyang umiwas na makisalamuha sa ibang tao habang hinihintay ang resulta ng test. Hindi po ito lugar para sa mga nagpositibong mga pasyente at hindi po ito treatment facility,” Pelayo added.
The CIO also debunks the claim of the online news outlet that “PUMs or PUIs are merely told to quarantine at home” and that “is against IATF guidelines.”
“First of all, the Department Of Health does not use the term PUMs or PUIs anymore. Hindi na po ginagamit ng DOH ang mga termino na yan. Ang proper terminology at present ay ‘suspect’ at ‘direct close contact.’ Mali rin po yung isinulat na against ito sa IATF guidelines kasi ang mandatory facility based isolation is for confirmed cases. As per IATF Resolution No, 74, malinaw na hindi kasama ang suspect at direct close contacts (old term for PUM and PUI) sa mandatory facility-based isolation,” Pelayo explained.
The City Information Officer also shared that “it is even illustrated in the Algorithm for COVID-19 Contact Tracing by the DOH on the identification and assessment of close contact that it is a standard procedure for both asymptomatic health and non-health worker to undergo a 14-day strict home quarantine. “But here in Mabalacat City, the mayor had already partnered with some motels and hotel to accommodate the asymptomatic contacts, just to make sure.”
Despite the irregularities of the previous article posted by other online publication, the City Information Office of Mabalacat will continue on its commitment to provide factual and accurate information to the public and it is also keen on keeping its professional relationship with the media.
The CIO also expresses its big thanks the people of Mabalacat for expressing their love and support to our doctors, frontliners, and the efforts of the LGU.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
The iOrbitNews did not say that Mabalacat City does not have a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients because our previous posting indicated there were three quarantine facilities — Golden Victory Hotel at Brgy Mabiga; JBL Hospital in the City of San Fernando; and Diosdado Macapagal Regional Memorial Hospital in Pampanga.
On the issues of PUMs and PUIs, what’s in a name? All of them whether asymptomatics, suspects or what have you are all persons under monitoring. It is a fact and no less than the Mabalacat CIO confirmed that the city will accommodate asymptomatics in a 120-bed capacity tent holding area.
We do not see any “irregularities” in the report. What we see is a blatant disregard on the right of the public to be informed.