Public Safety and Security Command Center head Angel Sumagaysay said that from 62,902 face mask violators on December 31, 2021, the number increased to 63,531 as of January 8, 2022, while the number of social distancing/mass gathering violators increased from 43,957 on December 31, 2021, to 44,360 on January 8, 2022.
He added that some Dabawenyos may have forgotten that wearing of face masks and social distancing are strictly being enforced in the city as it, during the said period, was still under Alert Level 2.
Sumagaysay said the City Government is intensifying its enforcement of the strict minimum health protocols following the increase of cases in the city.
“I-reiterate og gina-remind nato ang enforcement cluster nga strengthen ang implementation sa Covid-19 guidelines tungod sa new variant (We reiterate and remind our enforcement cluster to implement the Covid-19 guidelines due to the new variant),” he said.
The PSSCC head added that based on the presentation made by City Health Office Head Dr. Ashley Lopez that Covid-19 cases are increasing.
Sumagaysay also said the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) had issued citation tickets to erring public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who continue to violate the allotted maximum seating capacity.
He also called on parents to have their children wear face masks whenever they leave their homes, adding that they have already coordinated with mall security managers to implement the mandatory wearing of face masks and social distancing for both adults and children.
But since children cannot be charged or apprehended for being minors, they can only remind the parents.
The PSSCC head also said that tourist police, police, and soldiers are visible not just in malls, public markets, churches, private and public bus and van terminals, but also other convergence points.
“Maximize gyud ang pag-deploy sa mga tropa. Dapat mag-adjust-adjust pud ta kabalo ta dako ang Davao City, naa pud ta’y vaccination rollout, swabbing centers, and business permit renewals (Troop deployment is being maximized. We need to adjust since Davao City is so huge, we also have vaccination rollouts, swabbing centers, and business permit renewals),” he added.
From May 16, 2020, to January 8, 2022, a total of 178,170 violators (curfew, liquor ban, social distancing, face mask, face shield, prohibition of billiard game, fake reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR, and non-essential travels) were apprehended with 11,525 cases filed.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio had also reiterated to the public to strictly enforce the minimum public health standards as the city is expecting an increase before the end of January this year.
“We are experiencing an increase in [Covid 19] cases but it is not yet a surge but padulongay na siya didto (we are heading there),” Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on Monday, January 10.
The mayor and the Department of Health-Davao Region attributed the increase to mass gatherings during the Holiday season.
Davao City is back to Alert Level 3 effective Friday, January 14, until January 31 following a spike in Covid-19 cases. (With CIO)
