Gov. Pacoy meets the healthworkers of Naguilian District Hospital, Rosario District Hospital, Caba District Hospital and Balaoan District Hospital today, March 19, 2020.
In his visit, he distributed hygiene kits and shared words of inspiration to them as they serve as frontliners in the battle against COVID19.
Naguilian District Hospital (NDH) partners with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Naguilian Office as they offered their service vehicles to help transport NDH employees to and from their work on March 18, 2020. Engr. Gil Lorenzo of DPWH Naguilian discusses the transport scheme with Dr. Michelle D. Arellano, Chief of Clinics, Ms. Joy F. Lictan, Chief Nurse, and Ms. Julie E. Costales, Administrative Officer V.
HEALTH WORKERS CHECK. Gov. Pacoy meets the staff of Bacnotan District Hospital (BDH) on March 18, 2020, as he personally delivers 40 Hygiene Kits for them.
Gov. Pacoy also assured them that the welfare of all frontliners is PGLU’s primordial concern.
“We will overcome this. Let’s just do our part. Rest assured I’m doing my part also. God is with us and God will protect us,” he said.
The Provincial Engineer’s Office is doing its part in providing services to stakeholders especially Medical and Health Workers affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine being implemented in the Province of La Union on March 17, 2020. Their services include provision of service vehicles, flushing and disinfection of roads going to and from the Provincial Capitol and installation of tents and parachutes provided by the Provincial Government of La Union at the district hospitals as their triage and isolation rooms and quick response areas.
FIRST DAY OF ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE. In adherence to President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon effective 12AM of March 17, 2020, the Provincial Government of La Union through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Provincial Health Office in cooperation with the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police man the entry checkpoints of La Union in Rosario, Pugo, Tubao, Sto. Tomas, Burgos and Sudipen. They checked for temperature, travel history, documents, and vehicular capacity of those entering the province.
Due to limited personal protective equipments for healthcare workers and frontliners, Balaoan District Hospital personnel work hand in hand to improvise face shields out of plastic gallons and clear plastic envelope to protect themselves from the COVID-19 on March 17, 2020. Face shield is essential to avoid transmission from droplets since they have direct contact to patients during interviews.
The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) began restricting movements of motorists and travellers in and out of the province, as a measure against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine beginning March 17.
Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III ordered the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force to strengthen interventions to prevent the entry and spread of the disease in the province.
Checkpoints in LU borders activated
Starting March 17, stricter operations are in place in various checkpoints in the borders of the province, namely in Rosario, Pugo, Tubao, Santo Tomas, Burgos, and Sudipen.
The Provincial Health Office (PHO), Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, and the respective Municipal Local Government Units (LGUs) man the checkpoints, as they conduct temperature check and interview.
Travellers that show symptoms of the disease are immediately put on hold. They are then referred to designated health facility, such as the Bacnotan District Hospital in the first district; and the La Union Medical Center in Agoo for the second district. Those who refuse the referral are ordered to return to their place of origin.
Meanwhile, travellers with normal health conditions are allowed entry or exit, upon assessment in the checkpoints. Checkpoint personnel record the travellers’ assessment results in individual health declaration cards.
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with scheduled flights in Clark International Airport can also pass through the checkpoints. Only one companion per OFW is allowed.
No Special Lane in the Checkpoints
Travellers, however, are warned that with the stringent measures in the checkpoints, bottlenecks are to be expected.
“We intentionally placed just one entry and one exit checkpoints in all the six road boundaries,” PDRRMO III Alvin Cruz said. “This is a way to discourage unessential travels, and for people to realize that our measures are strict as we are facing this pandemic.”
There are also no special lanes in the checkpoint, Cruz emphasized. Hence, all travellers must deal with the gridlocks should they insist to cross the borders.
The checkpoints face influx of travellers, as the province is a known gateway to Baguio and other northern Luzon provinces.
PUVs prohibited
The public is also reminded that operations of Public Utility Vehicles such as buses, jeeps, and tricycles, are suspended. Hence, only private cars and authorized government vehicles are allowed in the province’s thoroughfares.
Component LGUs have stationed key personnel in strategic locations to intercept violating PUV drivers.
Movement of private vehicles is also regulated. Only one passenger is allowed per vehicle, and they are interviewed about their purpose of travel. This could only be for essential reasons such as accessing basic necessities or emergency purposes.
PGLU Provides Shuttle Services to Health Workers
The PGLU provides free shuttle services to health workers in the province, whose service are crucial in the height of the pandemic.
Three PGLU vehicles are now deployed to ply the three service routes: Sudipen to San Fernando City (SFC) and back; Burgos to SFC and back; and, Rosario to SFC and back.
The shuttles depart SFC at 6am, 2pm, and 10am. Meanwhile, they depart from SFC at 7:00-7:30am, 3:00 – 3:30pm, and 11:00 – 11:30pm.
Pickup and drop-off points in SFC are at the La Union Pasalubong Agri-Tourism Center, near the City Playground, and the town plazas for Sudipen, Burgos and Rosario.
Health workers need to present their hospital IDs, disinfect their hands using alcohol, and undergo temperature check before boarding the shuttles. Social distancing is enforced inside the vehicle.
This PGLU initiative serves to augment the shuttle services provided by the private and government hospitals to their workforce. Some component LGUs also provide shuttle service to their health worker-constituents.
Chief of Clinics Dr. Michelle D. Arellano leads the third clean-up drive, “#OplanDalusTiAglawlaw” of Naguilian District Hospital (NDH) on March 14, 2020. All employees were grouped and were assigned to different areas of the hospital to beautify and maintain cleanliness every Saturday by all off-duty personnel and the on-duty who can be dispensed.
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