The local government of Muntinlupa has declared a state of calamity due to the increasing number of cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi announced this on Monday following the passing of an ordinance to enable the city’s emergency response team to speedily access the local calamity fund.
“The move to place the city under the State of Calamity will allow us to purchase PPE (personal protective equipment) for frontliners, medicine, food, supplies and other equipment to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in Muntinlupa,” Fresnedi said.
Following the declaration, the Muntinlupa City Council also approved the anti-hoarding ordinance that restricts bulk buying of basic commodities, to address the public’s panic buying.
Further, the City Council passed a liquor ban to prevent opportunities for city residents to gather for the duration of the community quarantine.
Ordinances on the temporary closure of malls, except for stores providing essential services, and closure of public and private recreational facilities such as gyms, beauty parlors, spas, and the like, were approved in a special council session on Monday.
The local government eyes to provide relief goods for informal settlers and displaced workers affected by the temporary closure of establishments.
The public is advised to stay indoors and consider cancelling non-essential travels, as Muntinlupa also imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting March 16 until April 14.
Muntinlupa announced its first confirmed case (PH139) as per update of DOH on March 15. The patient is a 44-year-old female and is currently being monitored and treated at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Muntinlupa City Health Officer Dr. Teresa Tuliao said the city government with the DOH has been conducting contact tracing for persons who encountered PH139.
As of March 16, Muntinlupa CHO recorded 33 Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) and 38 Persons Under Investigation (PUI) in the city.
The local government has installed designated triage areas to serve as quarantine rooms in Ospital ng Muntinlupa. Barangays were also instructed to install isolation areas for residents suspected to have contracted with the virus for monitoring by the local health office.
Fresnedi urged city residents to remain calm and to be vigilant in this emergency. The local exec encouraged the public to refrain from sharing unverified news but follow official sources such as the City Government of Muntinlupa and DOH’s social media accounts.
For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.
