Tuguegarao revises quarantine rules for members of media, rescuers

MANILA, Philippines — Rescuers and members of the media and humanitarian groups will no longer have to undergo 14-day quarantine before entering Tuguegarao under the city’s revised quarantine protocols until the situation triggered by Typhoon Ulysses subsides.

Tuguegarao City Mayor Jefferson Soriano said Monday he had requested the city council to allow modified quarantine protocols before rescuers and other humanitarian groups can enter the city so that aid for residents affected by flooding can be delivered faster.

“Pumunta po ako sa aming sanggunian requesting for a modified quarantine protocol sa syudad, kasi po ‘yung mga media po na kailangan pumasok, ‘yung mga magdadala po ng humanitarian aid, at tsaka mga rescuers po, kailangan po mamodify po namin ‘yung quarantine protocols namin sa Tuguegarao,” he told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(I went to the city council and requested for a modified quarantine protocol in the city, because members of the media, humanitarian groups and rescuers need to enter the city, so we need to modify the quarantine protocols.)

“Hindi na po pwede kasi na ilagay talaga sa 14 days quarantine, so gumagawa po kami, kahapon gumawa na po kami ng modified protocols para dito sa aming syudad,” he added.

(We cannot implement 14-day quarantine, so yesterday we created modified protocols for the city.)

Soriano said quarantine guidelines for individuals entering the city will be reverted to original protocols when the situation normalizes.

“‘Yun po ang modified namin, hindi na po, they will not undergo anymore, hindi na po mag-a-undergo ng 14 days quarantine. ‘Yun ang nakita po namin sa sitwasyon na ito. Babalik na lang po kami later on sa standard protocol po natin kapag wala na pong problema dito,” he said.

(Under modified rules, they will not undergo 14-day quarantine anymore. We will just go back to our standard protocols when there is no problem anymore here.)

Soriano also explained that the city government always prepares for flooding but did not expect its magnitude during the onslaught of Ulysses.

He said about 80 to 90 percent of barangays in the city, and about 34,000 families or 118,000 individuals were affected by the flooding triggered by the typhoon.

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JE