As the LGU of Borongan City makes preparations for post-ECQ in Luzon, the city may find a surge of returnees from residents who will choose to travel back to their hometown after the lifting of ECQ.
Thus, the LGU has made preparations with their local division and regional DepEd offices to temporarily house returnees who do not show COVID-19 symptoms.
Borongan City has made it clear, however, that all returnees that exhibit COVID-19 symptoms will be directed to the city’s official isolation facilities.
LGUs may refer to this memorandum on the steps needed to secure permission from the Regional and Division Office of DepEd.
As previously mentioned in the League’s policy note for responsive local health strategies (view here), it is important to separate confirmed cases from probable and suspected cases. In the case of returnees, it is also important to separate those showing symptoms and those that are not to prevent more cases of infection.
The use of public schools have been deemed somewhat as a “last resort” for isolation facilities. As such, Borongan City’s has decided to use it as a temporary shelter for returnees who do not show COVID symptoms and are less likely to have disease.
To learn more about the efforts of cities in responding to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the COVID-19 City Tracker at bit.ly/covid19citytracker.