Lapu-Lapu City residents tapped as COVID ‘warriors’

CEBU, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan has enlisted all Oponganons as COVID warriors to help fight and curb the increasing coronavirus cases.

A COVID warrior is armed with a cellphone and will report through text to the Philippine National Police the violators of health protocols.

“Kitang mga tao, kita na ang mga warriors, kita na ang mga frontliners,” Chan said in a statement.

He said the residents need to step up as doctors, nurses, police and other frontliners are already hit by the virus.

The mayor said the citizens will be rewarded as provided for under the newly-enacted ordinance.

The ordinance provides that texter will report to the PNP those who are not wearing facemask and those without quarantine passes, among others.

Details should include the specific time and place where the violations were committed.

The ordinance also penalizes erring citizens. The fine collected from the violator will be divided between the texter and the barangay.

“If dili tinuod ang imong gisumbong, naka-violate pud ang texter, ma-penalize pud siya,” Chan said.

He said though penalizing and rewarding are not the primary objectives of the ordinance.

“Kinahanglan kitang tanan magpakabana sa kahimtang sa atong siyudad and facemask is the most important aron dili kita magtinakoray,” he said.

Moreover, Chan said that the city government will be hiring additional nurses and doctors to attend to the growing number of COVID cases in the city.

The mayor said that he will also relieve the city hospitals of pregnant/expectant mothers and mild COVID-19 symptomatic patients.

He said the city hospitals are already crammed with COVID and regular patients.

With this, Chan said the Lapu-Lapu City Puericulture and Maternity in Barangay Poblacion will be for pregnant and expectant mothers.

Since the puericulture only has a delivery room, he said, the city will make an additional operating room and will hire obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-Gyne) specialist to attend to them.

“If you have mild symptoms, nagka-COVID ka, adto ka ibutang (temporarily) sa atong isolation facilities,” he said.

To accommodate more asymptomatic patients, Chan said the Hoops Dome and its adjacent areas will soon be converted into an isolation facility.  KQD (FREEMAN)