The city government of Parañaque has urged residents to fully cooperate in the government's campaign against the coronavirus disease as the city’s number of confirmed cases is nearing the 2,000 mark.
“At this critical moment, I’m appealing again to my constituents to come together to defeat this terrible disease. Each of us has role to play, whether through unselfishness or humanity,” said Mayor Edwin Olivarez.
This developed as the entire legislative building of City Hall will be temporarily closed from Monday to Wednesday to give way for containment and disinfection activities.
Olivarez said the following offices were closed:
• All offices of the judiciary and other National Government Agencies
• All offices of Sangguniang Panglungsod
• Treasurer's Office
• Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO).
Barangay BF Homes, where the biggest subdivision in the country is located, still has the highest number of confirmed cases at 306, with an additional 11 cases in just three days, according to Dr. Darius Sebastian of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.
The active cases in BF Homes have reached 184 with 11 fatalities, the highest recorded deaths among the city’s 16 barangays.
With these adverse developments, Olivarez said city hall officials, barangay leaders and residents should come together in confronting the crisis by cooperating with health authorities and following quarantine protocols.
“All of us will be hurt if leaders and officials are unable to come together in confronting this crisis. Unity and common purpose can help us defeat this virus,” the city chief executive said.
Olivarez said COVID-19 has brought formidable threats to the life and health of people not only in the Philippines but also all over the world.
Now that it is a global pandemic, “what we need is unity and cooperation more than ever,” he said.
Olivarez has ordered city police chief Col. Robin King Sarmiento and barangay chairmen to strictly enforce the implementation of health protocols across Paranaque.
He also directed all police block commanders to apprehend minors violating curfew hours and the enforce the city ordinance on the wearing of face masks amid the pandemic.
"At this life-threatening moment, everyone should all be concentrating on containing the spread of this dreadful disease and saving the country’s economy. Viruses do not respect limits, nor do pandemics discriminate between races," said Olivarez.