The Makati City government is planning to procure some 5,000 units of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits developed by inventors at the University of the Philippines once the kits are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Mayor Abigail Binay announced this during a press conference Tuesday in connection with the measures and health protocols being imposed by the city government to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
Binay also revealed the City of Makati is set to receive 5,000 pieces of 3M N95 face masks from an anonymous donor, along with some test kits. She said the masks will be distributed to the city’s frontline health workers and to their counterparts at the Department of Health (DOH).
The city chief executive called on residents and establishments to cooperate and comply with the Resolutions and Executive Order No. 10 she and members of the City Council signed and issued to fight community transmission of the virus.
The measures include the closure of shopping malls and other establishments and the imposition of a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Monday (March 16).
On Monday night, the Makati City police headed by its commander Rogelio Simon started conducting night patrol security checks in the different barangays to ensure that everybody follows the curfew imposed by the city government.
The following are exempted from the curfew: call center agents and other night-shift workers; heath personnel; authorized government officials; persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons; persons transiting to the airport for travel abroad; persons delivering food and medicines, and the essential skeletal workforce of the city government.
City health workers, rescue personnel and other frontliners comprising the Makati Incident Management Team have been working round-the-clock since February, when Mayor Binay placed them on high alert status in response to the global health emergency caused by the virus.
The city government also created a special task force and placed all city health and rescue personnel on high alert as a proactive protective measure.
Among the initial measures undertaken by the Task Force include the use of infrared thermometers by health personnel to scan city employees and visitors entering City Hall as well as barangay health centers.
Rescue, engineering and health personnel start working to convert the city’s Friendship Suites, initially used as a hostel, into an isolation facility for those found positive with 2019-nCoV.
The city government is also implementing a “No Dine-In” policy in all restaurants and food establishments.
Additionally, all establishments are being reminded to strictly enforce social distancing guidelines where individuals must remain one meter apart at all times.
