The Department of Health (DOH) has ordered quarantine for all families and individuals who swam at a resort in Caloocan City even though it is still prohibited amid existing quarantine restrictions due to the threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Just last week, Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan closed the “Gubat sa Ciudad Resort” in Barangay Bagumbong, especially since its operation is still banned under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire was deeply saddened on Monday, especially since visitors would not have flocked to the resort if the establishment had not opened.
“‘Yung nagpunta po diyan sa resort na ‘yan, kailangan po nilang mag-quarantine for 14 days, lahat po sila, so that we can ensure na wala pong pagkakahawa-hawaan [ng COVID-19] na mangyayari,” said Vergeire in a media forum.
(Those who went to that resort, they have to quarantine for 14 days, all of them, so that we can ensure that no [COVID-19] transmission will happen.)
“Kasi ang mga kababayan natin pupunta sila riyan kung papayag kayo. Eh binuksan po natin, kaya nakapasok po ang mga tao at nakapag-swimming at nakapagsaya ang bawat pamilya. Ngunit ito po ay mali, hindi po natin ito ito-tolerate, ayaw na po nating madagdagan pa ang mga kaso.”
14-day quarantine ordered on those who went to Caloocan resort
(Because our countrymen will go there if you allow them. We opened it, so people could come in and swim and every family had fun. But this is wrong, we will not tolerate it, we do not want to increase the number of cases.)
Vergeire has already notified their DOH regional office to observe all those who attended the said gathering.
On Sunday afternoon, some photos of a large number of people swimming in the said area went viral, prompting Malapitan to revoke their business license.
The DOH is now asking similar businesses not to imitate Gubat sa Ciudad Resort, especially since it will greatly affect the country’s efforts to eradicate COVID-19 infections.
“Alam din po natin na tayo ay nasa MECQ, so alam po dapat ng ating mga kababayan kung kailan sila dapat lumabas at ano ang mga places na pwede nilang puntahan.”
(We also know that we are in MECQ, so our countrymen should know when they should go out and what places they can go.)
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