COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa Mayor Fresnedi urges residents not to be complacent amid MECQ, improvement in COVID-19 cases

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi has warned residents of another spike in COVID-19 cases upon complacency in observing quarantine protocols amid the modified enhanced community quarantine and improvement of COVID-19 cases in the city.

The local exec reminded Muntinlupa residents that the implementation of MECQ and positive results in the local government’s efforts in curbing COVID-19 do not give the public a license to roam freely in malls and other public areas.

He urged city residents to continue to follow preventive measures such as physical distancing and stringent personal hygiene.

Quarantine measures such as curfew, quarantine pass system, and liquor ban are still in effect in Muntinlupa despite the shift from ECQ to MECQ. The public’s movement is still limited and there are modified measures in place in the city’s checkpoints.

Only those who have essential tasks like purchasing food or medicine are allowed by the police to pass at checkpoints, including those who will report to work. Non-Muntinlupa residents who are working in the city are allowed to cross borders provided they present a valid ID and certificate of employment.

Muntinlupa Traffic Management Bureau says public transportation remains disallowed in MECQ and tricycles are not allowed to operate.

The City Government is set to establish a task force to monitor the compliance of business establishments on guidelines for MECQ as provided by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction Office has started to inspect malls and other business establishments to ensure that health protocols and safe physical distancing are observed.

In a public briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said areas where quarantine restrictions have been eased may be placed again under ECQ if the number of infections increases.

Muntinlupa City records the highest COVID-19 recovery rate in Metro Manila at 56.85% as of May 16. The local health office says that COVID-19 transmission in the city is slowing down with a doubling time of eight days.

Doubling time refers to the number of days for local coronavirus cases to double in number. The standard rate of transmission should be at 7-30 days to be considered decelerating.

Muntinlupa City has 198 confirmed cases with 114 recoveries, 56 active cases, 28 reported deaths, 12 suspect cases, and 192 probable cases as of May 18.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

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COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa records highest COVID-19 recovery rate in NCR, urges residents to continue following quarantine protocols

Following the slowing down of COVID-19 transmission in the city, Muntinlupa now records the highest COVID-19 recovered rate in Metro Manila.

City Health Officer Dra. Tet Tuliao reports that Muntinlupa’s recovery rate at 56.85% as of May 16 is the highest among NCR local government units.

Tuliao said the improvement can be accounted to the city’s intensified targeted mass testing, including contract tracing, isolation strategies, and treatment of confirmed and suspect individuals to have contracted the virus.

Muntinlupa City has an ongoing “express mass testing” for city residents who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. PCR Testing administered to residents is for free.

As of May 16, the local health office has tested 2,005 residents and frontliners. Confirmed patients are immediately referred to quarantine facilities while close contacts and their families are isolated.

Recently, Muntinlupa City Health Office reported that COVID-19 transmission in the city is slowing down based on “doubling time” data of confirmed cases over the past days.

COVID-19 doubling time in Muntinlupa has further improved to eight (8) days as of May 18.

Doubling time refers to the number of days for local coronavirus cases to double in number. The standard rate of transmission should be at 7-30 days to be considered decelerating.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi welcomes the improvement of COVID-19 situation in the city as it will boost the morale of the frontliners. Fresnedi noted that while the city receives positive results in the fight against COVID-19, the public should not be complacent and relax with quarantine protocols. He urged city residents to follow preventive measures such as physical distancing and stringent personal hygiene.

Quarantine measures such as curfew, quarantine pass system, and liquor ban are still in effect in Muntinlupa despite the implementation of modified enhanced community quarantine.

Muntinlupa City has 197 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 113 recoveries, 56 active cases, 28 reported deaths, 16 suspect cases, and 187 probable cases as of May 17.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa sees rise in recoveries of COVID-19 patients, intensifies its targeted mass testing

As of May 7, the Muntinlupa City Health Office has recorded a steady rise in the number of COVID-19 recovered patients with over 66 recoveries. While, there are 313 cleared suspect cases and 321 cleared probable cases that have shown improvement over the recent days of monitoring.

Muntinlupa CHO chief Dra. Teresa Tuliao said the increase in cleared cases can be accounted to the local government’s pro-active contract tracing and mass testing, including a holistic approach in treating residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Muntinlupa City has started its targeted COVID-19 mass testing and has finished collecting swab samples from 596 individuals who are suspected to have contracted the virus to date.

Tuliao said the local health office conducts “express mass testing” where city residents are tested for as fast as 10 minutes. She noted that individuals to be tested undergo pre-assessment for triaging prior to swab collection.

Residents to be tested are transported through Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT) and DRRMO. While, walk-in individuals are assessed by medical staff before being administered with the swab collection.

CHO has started to test frontliners and health workers in barangay health centers. COVID-19 test results are released four to five days after testing.

The local health officer said confirmed patients are immediately referred to quarantine facilities while close contacts and their families are subject for isolation to help contain the spread of the virus in the communities.

A field hospital and isolation rooms have been constructed in Ospital ng Muntinlupa to accommodate suspect, probable, and confirmed cases of COVID-19. Barangays in Muntinlupa have also installed quarantine areas to house COVID-19 cases.

Further, the City Government implements a holistic approach in treating COVID-19 patients and suspect individuals by providing psycho-social, spiritual, and support care on top of medical assistance. Recovered patients are continuously monitored by CHO and are given vitamins and other supplies.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi assures the public that the City Government implements tougher initiatives to beat COVID-19 in the city and urged residents to follow quarantine measures and to remain in their houses during the health emergency.

Muntinlupa City has 174 confirmed cases with 23 reported deaths, 12 suspect cases, and 432 probable cases as of May 7.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City asks DOJ to reconsider transfer of PDLs with COVID-19 in Bilibid

The City Government of Muntinlupa expressed its opposition against the use of the New Bilibid Prison as a quarantine area for persons deprived of liberty who tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to the Department of Justice.

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi sent a letter to DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra signifying the city’s protest for the transfer of COVID-19 PDLs in Muntinlupa saying it poses a threat to city residents.

“Let it be stated that we are mindful that we are mindful of our obligation to extend humane considerations to those afflicted with the pandemic virus. However, we have also to consider the thousands of Muntinlupeños who are put at greater risks with the additional COVID-19 patients brought to the city.” Fresnedi said.

The mayor cited Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991 which states that, “Every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied there from, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare. Within their respective territorial jurisdictions, local government units shall ensure and support, among other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology…”

The City Government of Muntinlupa recently coordinated with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) regarding the protest.

On April 21, the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) transferred 18 women PDLs who tested positive for COVID-19 from the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City to the New Bilibid Prisons (Medium Security) in Muntinlupa City.

Following the transfer, BUCOR reported one male PDL from the Medium Security Compound who tested positive for COVID-19 and was confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. The male PDL died on April 24.

BUCOR conducted contact tracing on the day the patient was hospitalized and forty (40) PDLs, including medical staff, were placed in isolation.

The Muntinlupa City Council has passed a resolution to express protest and opposition to the transfer. It stressed that such transfer cannot be done without prior consultation with the City Government and the people and villages living or residing near and surrounding the Medium Security Compound, Camp Sampaguita, and without the prior approval of the Sanggunian.

The Bureau of Corrections has recently requested the Department of Education for the use a public elementary school in the New Bilibid Prisons Reservation (Itaas Elementary School) as a quarantine area for its personnel.

Muntinlupa Schools Division Office advised BuCor to comply with the requirements provided by DepEd before it endorses the request to the DepEd-NCR Director for further action.

Department of Interior and Local Government released Memorandum Circular 2020-062 dated March 21, 2020 which states that public schools shall not be used as quarantine or isolation areas unless explicitly allowed by the DepEd and strictly following the guidelines.

As of May 3, Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 154 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city with 22 deaths and 46 recovered cases. According to the local health office, there are 8 “suspect” cases and 443 “probable” cases in Muntinlupa to date.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

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COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City expands the scope of personal information disclosure of COVID-19 cases

The City Government of Muntinlupa has expanded the scope of personal information disclosure for patients who tested positive of COVID-19 as a mitigation measure to prevent the further spread of the virus in the city.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed into law Ordinance 2020-094, amending the COVID-19 Public Health Information Ordinance, which provided a new list of personal information to be gathered from COVID-19 patients.

Under the local ordinance, the City Government requires COVID-19 patients to provide their complete address which include name of purok and subdivision, name of their building in case residents living in condominiums, travel history, frequented locations, time of manifestations of symptoms, start and end of symptoms, and visited hospitals including private and public places.

Fresnedi urged COVID-19 patients to cooperate with the City Government and disclose accurate details to protect public safety and health.

Information gathered from patients will be used by Muntinlupa City Health Office for contact tracing. It will also enable the city government to advise people of the potential contagion of COVID-19 and issue a warning for residents living in affected areas with high risk of infection to limit their movement.

Confirmed, suspected, and probable cases in the city are encouraged to voluntarily have themselves identified for the purpose of providing the utmost protection from the local government and for the purpose of protecting public safety and public health. The local government shall ensure that they are not directly or indirectly identified by the public.

Muntinlupa City also recently passed the Anti-Patient’s Dishonesty Ordinance of 2020 which aims to penalize dishonest COVID-19 patients who provide wrong personal information to health workers.

The public is advised to truthfully accomplish information data form, declaration or any similar document and disclose relevant information as may be asked by health workers, hospital employees, medical officers, or quarantine officers.

Violators shall be liable to pay a fine amounting to P5,000, community service for 30 days, and up to nine months of imprisonment. In case of inability to pay the fine, the offender shall be required to render an additional 30 days of community service or subsidiary imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.

As of April 26, Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 132 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city with 19 deaths and 22 recovered cases. According to the local health office, there are 18 “suspect” cases and 472 “probable” cases in Muntinlupa to date.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Council approves resolution protesting the transfer of 18 PDLs with COVID-19 to Bilibid Prison

This past Thursday, the Muntinlupa City Council passed a resolution to express their protest and opposition to the transfer of 18 women PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) who tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City to the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.

The City Council supports Mayor Jaime Fresnedi’s position against the transfer of the infected PDLs to Muntinlupa last April 21. Fresnedi denounced the transfer and said it was done without prior coordination with the local government.

The resolution stressed that such transfer cannot be done without prior consultation with the City Government and the people and villages living or residing near and surrounding the Medium Security Compound, Camp Sampaguita and without the prior approval of the Sanggunian.

Further, it cited the Local Government Code of 1991 which mandates all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units, non-governmental and people’s organizations, and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions.

According to the LGC 1991 Section 27, “no project or program shall be implemented by government authorities unless the consultations mentioned in Sections 2(c) and 26 hereof are complied with, and prior approval of the sanggunian concerned is obtained.”

The City Council pointed out that the transfer also compromises the safety and health of NBP prisoners as it involves a highly contagious and infectious virus that has affected and continues to affect the health and safety of our constituents in particular and the people of Metro Manila which is the most affected region in terms of number of infected persons.

Following the passing of the resolution, the Committee on Health and Sanitation is set to conduct a public hearing and invite officials from the Bureau of Corrections and all other sectors concerned, including residents of nearby communities in Katarungan Village and Southville 3, to discuss the said transfer.

Meanwhile, Congressman Ruffy Biazon sent a letter on April 22 to National Action Plan on COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. recommending the transfer of the COVID-19 PDLs to a more secure facility that has the capability to handle these cases pending the evaluation of the isolation facility at the NBP.

Mayor Fresnedi has yet to consult with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases appealing the relocation of COVID-19 PDLs back to Mandaluyong or a medical facility.

As of April 23, Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 129 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city with 18 deaths and 19 recovered cases. According to the local health office, there are 16 “suspect” cases and 392 “probable” cases in Muntinlupa to date.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa to start isolating suspect, probable cases in quarantine centers, earns praise for physical distancing measures

In an attempt curb the rise in the number of novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) cases in Muntinlupa City, the City Government is set to isolate suspect and probable cases in quarantine centers following the conduct of localized targeted mass testing.

Muntinlupa City started its targeted COVID-19 mass testing on April 13 and has finished collecting swab samples from 194 persons under investigation (PUI) for processing and testing.

As of April 20, Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 121 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city with 17 deaths and 14 recovered cases. According to the local health office, there are 41 “suspect” cases and 189 “probable” cases in Muntinlupa to date.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said the City Government will begin the transfer of suspect and probable cases from their homes to quarantine facilities as a mitigation measure in avoiding further spread of the virus in the communities.

“Suspect and probable cases who are in home quarantine will now be transferred in isolation areas. A more aggressive medical intervention is needed to effectively segregate, for quarantine purposes, the virus-stricken constituents of the city for appropriate medication and containing of the virus,” Fresnedi said.

A field hospital and isolation rooms have been constructed in Ospital ng Muntinlupa to accommodate suspect, probable, and confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The City Government has also started to construct a public crematorium facility in Brgy. Putatan in anticipation of the pandemic’s worst-case scenario in the city.

Meanwhile, the city’s rules on physical distancing for market-goers have earned praises from the Palace and was hailed as a best practice in the enhanced community quarantine.

Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. cited Muntinlupa’s measures as one of the best practices when it comes to physical distancing during a televised press briefing on Monday.

“We can see how they practice social distancing in the flea markets, as well as the public markets. They’re very orderly in Muntinlupa,” Roque said.

Muntinlupa City recently implemented a market schedule for residents in different barangays. The city public market in Alabang now operates from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Mondays for disinfection.

Residents of Barangays Tunasan, Poblacion, Putatan, and Bayanan can go to MCPM on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays while those from Alabang, Ayala Alabang, Cupang, Buli, and Sucat can enter on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. All are required to show their quarantine passes and face masks before they are allowed to enter.

A queuing system has been imposed in the market in which those who are waiting need to fall in line with a distance of at least one meter from one another.

Only fifty individuals are allowed to enter the market to ensure that social distancing is observed. Senior Citizens, pregnant women, persons with disability, and children are not allowed inside the market.

Flea market operators were also ordered to implement a market schedule and set up stricter physical distancing measures as mitigation to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). City flea markets are now operating from 6:00 AM – 12:00 NN.

Mayor Fresnedi thanked Malacanang for recognizing Muntinlupa’s initiatives to strictly implement the enhanced community quarantine in the city.

The City Government has also enforced a 24-hour curfew, anti-hoarding ordinance, closure of malls and other non-essential establishments, ban in the sale, delivery and consumption of liquor and other alcoholic drinks, and ban on spitting and disposal of personal protective equipment in public places.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website. 

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.