Cotabato City reinstated its “No Movement Sunday” in all of its 37 barangays as part of the city’s intensified effort to control the transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi declared the measure after the city posted two new 2 Covid-19 infections. The ‘No Movement Sunday’ started at midnight of August 16, 2020.
The same measure was also declared in Cotabato City during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period where only frontliners and emergency cases are allowed to go outside. The current measure is the same as before where only pharmacies and drug stores are allowed to operate and public transportation is not available.
Guiani-Sayadi said the measure is necessary despite the city being categorized under the Modified General Community Quarantine. This will allow all commercial establishments including public markets to be cleaned and disinfected. It also gives residents the opportunity to rest and curb the transmission of the virus.
“As your mayor, it is my duty to implement necessary actions that I think will best protect my constituents. All that we are doing in the government is for the welfare and well-being of every Cotabateño because I know that we still have a long way to go. The fight is far from over, yet”, Mayor Guiani-Sayadi said.
On August 12, after announcing the entire city as Covid-free, two patients contracted the disease. Both confirmed cases are healthcare workers at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center. To further alleviate the local transmission, the city’s contact tracing team is now intensifying their investigation to locate the source of the virus.
Cotabato City has the lowest number of Covid-19 cases in the whole Region XII. It also has the highest recovery rate and zero fatality rate.
The city is also implementing the odd-even scheme for private vehicles from Mondays-Saturdays and the mandatory wearing of face masks in public. RJ Espartinez