Davao City is “one step away from a lockdown.”
In an interview on Sunday with the city government-run Davao City Disaster Radio (87.5 FM), Mayor Sara Duterte said that next to the community quarantine is the lockdown.
She said that before the community quarantine, the city government already released eight guidelines, updated regularly based on what was deemed necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We talked to the infectious disease doctor and our infectious disease specialists here in Davao City reached out to the Davao City government and offered to assist us. We have been discussing, and she said that the lockdown is meant to control the spread of the disease,” she said.
“So, if we want to be too strict, even if there is only one COVID-19 positive, we will immediately lock (down) so that nobody can get in and out,” she said, adding that this is the only way to control the spread of the virus.
Duterte explained that what happened in Metro Manila (referring to the lockdown) is due to the uncontrolled spread of the infection.
It is the reason why “the national government made the difficult decision to close all land, air and sea travel in Metro Manila.”
“They are trying to save other areas of the country. That is why our lcoal government units must prepare because before the lockdown was declared in Metro Manila, there were already people who arrived and exited here,” Duterte said.
She said that the LGUs should not discount the possibility that people who had prior travels to Korea, Japan, and China—including those who came from Manila with cases of community transmission—are already in their respective areas.
Duterte said what they did in Metro Manila is to buy time for the LGUs in other parts of the country.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Mayor Duterte also called on the neighboring LGUs of Davao City to also have their PUI (person under investigation) quarantine area.
“Otherwise, I will close Davao City and you will have no access to hospitals and other essential services,” she wrote. “Let us do our thing to make sure that the sacrifice in Metro Manila saves lives in the entire country.”
