A sanitary technician sprays liquid disinfectant in an SBMA office on Sunday following the declaration of a state of public health emergency due to heightened Covid-19 threat. Photo by Malou Dungog
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has started disinfecting facilities and buildings frequented by the public following the declaration by Malacañang over the weekend of a state of public health emergency due to heightened new coronavirus disease threat.
SBMA chair and administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the disinfection protocol will be carried out by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department initially in all SBMA offices and public areas using agents prescribed by the Department of Health.
“We will be disinfecting SBMA offices, especially the areas and surfaces most often touched by people who do business in our offices. But we also encourage business locators and other Subic stakeholders to do the same,” Eisma said.
“I call on all Subic stakeholders to support this measure because we all need to observe cleanliness and practice proper hygiene in face of heightened coronavirus threat in the country. We need to protect ourselves and keep the Subic community safe,” sheadded.
Malacañang said on Sunday that President Duterte has declared a state of public health emergency following a confirmed local transmission of Covid-19.
On Saturday, the DOH raised “Code Red sublevel 1” after it confirmed that a new Covid-19 patient did not have recent history of travel to other countries.
A situation report from the World Health Organization on Sunday indicated a total of 105,596 confirmed cases in over 100 countries.
The DOH said over the weekend that the Philippines has 10 confirmed cases.
Meanwhile, Eisma reminded the public that other health safety protocols announced by the SBMA previously will remain in force in the Subic Bay Freeport.
These include the ban on entry of people, ships and aircraft coming from Covid–19-hit countries, as well as voluntary quarantine of those who recently travelled abroad and thermal scanning at Subic Bay Freeport gates for foreign visitors.
