Mayor Edwin Santiago pushes stricter implementation of health protocols before mall managers and owners of events places, and restaurants. Contributed photo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “Help us. Help the city manage the situation by being on top with us. Ayaw nating bumalik sa dati. Ayaw nating mag–lockdown ulit kasi it will immobilize us again. Kaya magsama-sama tayo at magtulungan sa di pa rin natatapos na labang ito.”
Thus, Mayor Edwin “EdSa” Santiago enjoined business establishments to cooperate with the city government in implementing strict health protocols in a meeting Friday with mall managers, owners of event places, restaurants, and other business establishments.
“Gusto natin nakabukas tayo araw-araw but we have to find ways to balance our economy and response against Covid-19. Muling tumataas yung cases hindi lang sa San Fernando but in the whole country so there is really a need to heighten our health response,” Santiago stressed.
On Friday too, the city registered 31 new Covid-19 cases, along with seven recoveries and one fatality.
Santiago also issued on the same day a new executive order for the strict implementation of quarantine guidelines. This immediately came in the wake of Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda’s Executive Order No. 5-S-2021 reiterating strict compliance with health and safety protocols.
City health office OIC Dr. Carlos Mercado reviewed before the business owners the existing quarantine guidelines of the city and pointed the common violations of some establishments.
“Age restrictions. Sa loob ng establishments mahigpit pa rin po nating ipinagbabawal ang mga bata at matatanda. Sa inspections namin, ito po ang naging common violations ng mga establishments. Huwag po kayong matatakot o mapapagod mag-remind sa mga customers ninyo na isuot ang kanilang face mask at face shield. Kung tumanggi sila, pwede ninyong palabasin. Kayo po dapat ang masusunod sa loob ng establisyemento ninyo,” Mercado explained.
For the safe conduct of public events, all mass gatherings will also need to pass through the city’s incident management team for clearance.
“All mass gatherings dapat mag-secure muna po sila ng permit o clearance from the IMT. Ito ay para ma-regulate po nang maayos at ligtas ang mga pagtitipon and walang ma-breach na protocols especially the imposition of 50 percent capacity,” Mercado said.
The City Health Officer said in the past few days, they have recorded most of the Covid-19 infections from unregulated and illegitimate mass gatherings.
Santiago and Mercado were joined by city disaster risk reduction management officer Raymond Del Rosario,city tourism officer Ching Pangilinan, business license and permit division officer Joseph Garcia, andDepartment of Trade and Industry–Pampanga provincial director Elenita Ordonio.
