THE City Government of San Carlos is now implementing the Covid-19 Prevention and Preparedness Checkpoint at its borders starting with Barangay Buluangan at 1 p.m. Monday, March 16.
The said checkpoint in Barangay Buluangan is manned by representatives from the 79th Infantry Battalion, Philippine National Police, Department of Health-Negros Occidental Province, City Disaster Risk Reduction
Management Office and the barangay.
Police Staff Sergeant Alfredo Tejones III said the border in Barangay Buluangan going to the Negros Oriental part of Negros Island is their point of concentration due to the two positive cases of Covid-19 in Dumaguete City.
He said all passengers of private and public transport vehicles were checked if they show symptoms of fever through thermal scanners, including cough and sore throat, and were also asked for their purpose of travel to San Carlos City as well as their travel history.
He added that those who manifested high body temperature who are not from San Carlos City were advised to go back to their localities, while those from San Carlos City were turned over to the health authorities for monitoring to ensure that no individual suspected with Covid-19 infection could enter the city.
One resident of the city who works in Canlaon City, Leonardo Geranggay, who had undergone the checkpoint, said he was thankful for the said move of the City Government to ensure the safety of people, especially those who always travel for work.
Police Major Mark Angelo P. Junco, San Carlos City police officer-in-charge, said those working in San Carlos City but are not residents of the city were asked for their IDs or work certification for verification.
He added that they start their checkpoints at early morning to catch the early trips of public utility vehicles coming to the city.
He also stressed that they will also do checkpoints with the help of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion at Sitio Medina in Barangay Rizal for those vehicles coming from Bacolod City via Don Salvador Benedicto route and in Sitio Talave in Barangay Punao, the coastal area going to Bacolod City.
Joe Recalex Alingasa Jr., Local Risk Reduction Management officer, said that within two to three days, the whole Negros Occidental province will undergo community quarantine and that nobody will be allowed to enter the city, except those needing medical assistance like dialysis and other immediate medical needs.
He cited that so far, nobody is being sent to the prepared local quarantine area for suspicious infection of Covid-19.
Said checkpoint follows the Executive Order from the Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson that orders the closure of borders, ports and airports of Negros Occidental. (PR)