The City Government of San Fernando cited a list of violations in infection control policies that are commonly committed by different establishments and the public.
The Incident Management Team (IMT) for COVID-19 inspected on February 24, 2021 establishments along McArthur Highway to determine compliance with health regulations.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Unit, which leads the inspection of establishments, found out the the most violated regulation is age restriction. For Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) areas, including the province of Pampanga, only individuals aged 15 to 65 years old are allowed outside of their residences.
“Ang paglabag sa kautusan na ito ay parehong pagkukulang ng establisimyento at ng publiko. Sa parte ng mga establisimyento, nakikita natin na kulang ang paghihigpit nila sa mga indibidwal na pumapasok habang ang publiko naman, patuloy nilang sinusuway ang kautusan kahit na ito ay pinapanawagan na ng gobyerno. Sa ating parte, mensahe siguro ito na mas palakasin pa natin ang awareness campaign para sa kanila,” said Dunn Patrick Imana, City Safety Officer.
Dr. Carlos Mercado, Officer-in-Charge of the City Health Office and one of IMT’s incident commanders, said that while this violation does not have a direct significance on the surge and spread of cases in the city, the government still calls on the public to adhere to this IATF protocol.
A report from City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit explains that among the city’s total active cases of 87 as of February 26, 2021, only one case account to the age group of one to 14 years old while the age group of 65 to 91 years old represents to at most 10 cases.
On the other hand, “close contact,” “work exposure,” “healthcare work,” and “unknown exposure” lead the list of top infection sources in the city.
“Sa paglobo at pag-spread ng COVID-19 infection sa ating Siyudad, hindi masyadong significant ang violation na ito [age restrictions]. Pero sinusundan pa rin natin iyan dahil iyan ay kasama sa kautusan ng IATF. Ang importante dito ay sundin ang health protocols at maging maingat” Mercado said.
Apart from this, the unit also shared that the observance of physical distancing, especially among restaurants, is also commonly violated by the establishments and the public.
“Ang pangunahing dahilan ng mga taong involved sa violation na ito ay ‘sila ay iisang pamilya lamang’ at ‘nakatira sa iisang bahay lamang.’ Pero hindi natin ito tinatanggap dahil ito po ay kautusan sa mga establisimyento na hindi katulad sa mga bahay. Isa pa, kailangan din pong isaalang-alang ang kapakanan ng ibang mga tao na nandoon sa area,” Mercado shared.
Other reported violations commonly committed are the failure to use log books for contact tracing purposes, maintenance of foot baths, absence of social distancing markings, provision of proper passage ways (entrance and exit), and appointment of safety officer/s for each establishment.
Failure to adhere to the necessary requirements may result to the issuance of warning and/or closure order against the establishment.