Gov't eyes naming a deputy to help in Cebu City's COVID-19 response

The government will lay down several measures to fine-tune COVID-19 response in Cebu City amid rising cases, including the designation of a deputy implementer in the Visayas.

At the Laging Handa public briefing, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the National Task Force (NTF) will evaluate the ground-level response of local government units in Cebu City beginning Monday, June 22 “para magkaroon ng mas magaling na calibrated response.”

The measures include, the possibility of instituting a National Task Force Emergency Operation Center  and “designating a Visayas Deputy Implementer for Region VII and the entire Visayas.”

Roque said the government will also establish out-patient services in temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.

Likewise, the inter-agency task force will also harmonize regional and national data among the Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the NTF.

Roque also cited the improvement of management of locally stranded individuals as well as strict and uniform enforcement of minimum public health standards in healthcare settings, supermarkets, government offices, and workplaces.

On the other hand, he said he will explain in detail the said plan at a Malacañang press briefing on Monday.

Cebu City was reverted to the strictest enhanced community quarantine status due to surging COVID-19 cases.

Roque earlier said the re-imposition of the ECQ was the only way to curb the spread of the virus, which has infected over 3,000 people in one of the largest cities in the Philippines. —LBG, GMA News