"Mayors should lead the way–and properly."
"Mayors should lead the way–and properly."
The past four days could probably be the most dreadful the country has ever experienced. For from three COVID-19 positive patients for the past three month ever since the virus was discovered, the numbers of those infected in the Philippines spiked by 1,100 percent to 33 as of Tuesday evening.
Unfortunately, too, since last Saturday when the news of additional patients broke, it seemed that Quezon City, one of the country’s premier cities, has been looking for a leader. While the executives of nearby cities were taking precautionary measures such as suspending classes, Mayor Joy Belmonte was out, doing rounds of interviews.
Feeling the heat from the criticisms she had been receiving over her actions (or inaction), Belmonte issued a statement refuting her critics.
“People attacked me for being indecisive and weak. On the contrary, I am decisive and strong. I decided from the start I would not allow a mob to influence how I make decisions. I will decide based on information and sound analysis. My badge of courage are my 20k bashes. Bashes based on not suspending school when it was the popular thing to do even if the information was still incomplete,” her statement read.
To complement her statement, the Quezon City Health Department issued a press release saying that the patient found positive for coronavirus disease-2019 barely went out of his house in the past 14 days because he was already ill.
“Based on the interviews conducted by the QCHD, the patient barely went out of the house because he was not feeling well in the past two weeks,” the press release quoted Belmonte saying, adding that while the said patient has already been moved to a hospital outside of Quezon City as he undergoes further treatments and tests, the six other people living with the patient were interviewed and swabbed by the QCHD, and samples were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for testing.
So far, none of them have exhibited signs or symptoms of the virus, according to the press statement.
Additionally, health officials said they are trying to locate a relative who had visited him recently. However, the statement was quick to add that the said relative had already been swabbed and tested at a private hospital and authorities are awaiting results.
Now, first of all, no one is saying Belmonte is indecisive and weak as she could be far worse than that. Last Sunday night, while other local government units in Metro Manila had already suspended classes in their own localities, Belmonte tried to do something classy by suspending only a particular school in Crame in Quezon City, citing its proximity to Greenhills in San Juan where someone tested positive for the virus.
However, Belmonte, in an early morning flag ceremony at the Quezon City Hall, revealed the case of the District 1 patient, meaning she already had the information on that particular case even earlier. While she had the guts to suspend classes in the school in Crame due its proximity to San Juan, it’s quite puzzling why she would not also do the same to the whole of Quezon City when the city had yielded its own COVID-19 patient.
In the press statement released by the QCHD, she was quoted saying the District 1 patient “barely” went of the house. Barely is different from totally. Barely does not eliminate the risks of possibly spreading contamination.
She proceeded to say the six other persons living with the patient had already been swabbed and tested negative. But isn’t there a 14-day quarantine for those possibly infected? If swabbing is enough, then why does the Department of Health has to impose a 14-day quarantine for those coming from infected areas?
Further, the statement contradicts itself. One moment its claims the QCHD was trying to locate another person who had visited the patient. The next moment it claims that person had already been swabbed and is just awaiting results. Which is which?
The other day, in another interview, Belmonte confirmed two more cases in Quezon City. And while she might have been doing something to address the situation, it is somehow limited in scope, dealing only with the patient and the persons he or she could possibly directly interacted with.
And that’s where Belmonte’s actions fall short. COVID-19 contamination doesn’t only occur in person-to-person contact. According to health advisories issued by the DoH and the World Health Organization, the virus could spread to surfaces touched by the carrier and that includes elevator buttons the patient might have touched, parts of the vehicles of a public transport he or she might have taken, any part of an establishment he or she might have entered, the escalator railings, etc. other crucial information includes the 14-day incubation for the virus and the tendency for some carriers to show no symptoms at all. And yet, Belmonte’s action are limited only to the patient and other persons he or she might have directly got in contact with.
But what else is new with Belmonte’s action and inaction? In fact she had gained notoriety for her late suspension of classes in times of typhoons and flooding, for the simple reason she doesn’t want to be accused of riding the bandwagon of mayors calling for early class suspension.
This is not a case of bandwagon syndrome. And all other mayors of the other cities in Metro Manila should take note, especially those who have been fence-sitting the past few days, as if awaiting a cue from above.
This is not the time for reactive responses. This is time for preventive actions. People will not mind if local executives come up with an otherwise knee-jerk reaction. These days, people are concerned for their health and safety.
In fact, I don’t even think that Belmonte’s action and inaction constitute indecisiveness and weakness.
What do you call someone who suspends classes in a particular school because of its proximity to the city where someone tested positive for COVID-19 and yet refuse to suspend classes when someone tests positive for the same virus within her city?
What do you call someone who relies mainly on swabbing and ignores the prescribed 14-day quarantine period?
What do you call someone who focuses only on the patient’s direct contact with other persons by ignores the patient’s contact with physical surfaces which could probable aid in spreading the virus?
Definitely not indecisive and weak. Still, her actions are still wanting.
Rest assured, Mayor, that we will be behind you as we battle this dreaded virus. Just lead the way properly.