What is Cebu City’s ‘fight COVID’ game plan?

Hear this word, O children of Israel. Do two walk together unless they have agreed? (Amos 3:3)

Covid cases continue to rise in Cebu City.

Last June 30, a week after IATF came over, there were 353 Covid-19 cases in Cebu City, the highest number, so far, reported in a single day.

We are all clear about our common goals: to save lives and to contain the virus. Until now, however, we are not all clear about the over-all game plan to meet the goals.

What is the overall “fight Covid” policy for Cebu City? For several quarantine scenarios (ECQ, hard lockdown, GCQ, modified GCQ), what strategies and measures will be done, where, by whom, when?

Is the Cebu City policy and action plan comprehensive, collaborative, data-based, systematic and transparent?

Who are doing what tasks?

First, what is the overall health/medical policy and action?

Who are in charge of the health protocols for all, including the urgent needs of the frontliners (doctors, nurses, other medical practitioners, others)?

Who are in charge of mass testing, providing face masks, and more widely disseminating clear public information about preventive measures/protocol vs Covid and what to do, where to go with early, mild, and serious Covid symptoms?

Who are monitoring and responding to the needs of the hospitals, cluster clinics and centers throughout the city (PPEs, facilities, health personnel, others)? Are there enough health personnel, space and beds for the increasing number of positive cases?

Who are in charge of the mental health, the well-being of residents, patients, frontliners, including the military personnel, others?

Second, is the fight Covid policy data-based?

Who are tracking and managing the collection of reliable Covid data for the city, communities and sitios? Is there a trans-disciplinal team reviewing and analyzing the data, the trends and the possible factors that can explain the cases and spread by location? Are the valuable lessons from contact tracing and mass testing extracted and assessed?

Third, what is the overall socio-economic policy and action plan for the city and for the communities (the hardlocked and those that are not)?

People will stay home if their essentials -- food, water, medicines- are provided for or accessible within the communities. More than the SAF (Special Action Forces), people will initially depend on the SAP until they, themselves, are able to raise food and funds for their needs.

Beyond SAP, are there plans for sustainable food supply, through home and community gardens? Who will manage these sustainable food projects in communities to avert deepening and widespread hunger?

Will there be mobile markets and pharmacies available as practiced in NCR?

What is the overall policy for businesses, industry, food producers, laborers, and those in the informal sector?

Are there provisions for providing work within communities- like managing, segregating waste, making face masks, delivery tasks, food garden and kitchen tasks, among others?

If this pandemic will stretch to more months, sustainable food supply and compensated community work, among others, should already be mapped out now.

Fourth, the military and LGUs are managing mobility and transport. But who are monitoring the implementation of protocols for movement and transport? Many Cebu City residents till now have not yet received ECQ passes!

Fifth, an environmental team may be necessary to ensure that the city emerges as an eco-protected/friendly area, with medical wastes especially appropriately managed, not irresponsibly thrown anywhere or incinerated.

Finally, clear public information about a well-defined, agreed upon Cebu City fight Covid game plan as well as inclusive, participative governance may tame the spread and take Cebu City out of ECQ.

Together, let us emerge victorious vs Covid-19 and especially with God, amidst bells tolling, music, praise, prayers, and faith.