TACLOBAN CITY – An additional thirty one individuals in Eastern Visayas recently tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total nuber of cases in the region to 4,450.
Leyte had 19 of the new cases, while 10 came from the Samar provinces and two from Southern Leyte.
In Tacloban City, Mayor Alfred Romualdez disclosed that since the start of the pandemic last March, the city government has already spent around P170 million for the COVID-19 response.
In a radio interview, Romualdez said that the money was used by the city government for the procurement of personal protective equipment(PPEs); construction or improvements of facilities used as quarantine or isolation centers; payment for hotels used as quarantine or isolation facilities; foods packs for people in quarantine / isolation facilities and other needed operations like those used in the putting up of checkpoints.
Because of these unexpected expenditures of the city government, he said several projects and programs have to be set aside.
“But we can still manage. We still have funds but we are appealing to our national government to help us,” Romualdez said.
The city’s drainage improvement, road maintenance and lighting projects, particularly in the northern part of the city were affected by the pandemic.
Romualdez appealed to the city residents to seriously heed the warnings of the government by following all the health protocols to help minimize the city’s COVID-19 cases.