Cebu governor to employers: Secure health of workers

CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — Rapid testing for employees of businesses that will reopen in Cebu will not be required after the province shifted to a more relaxed general community quarantine on Wednesday, according to Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Instead, she directed employers to prepare a “health security plan” that would focus on keeping their employees healthy amid the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

At a news conference on Tuesday night, Garcia said returning employees need not undergo the rapid diagnostic testing for COVID-19, citing guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. “Testing is not mandatory,” she said.

But under her Executive Order No. 17, business owners must submit continuity and health security plans to the local governments.

The health plan will be on top of the other protocols, like sanitation, temperature checking, and other requirements of the Department of Trade and Industry.Health regimen

The EO recommended a health regimen and home remedies to combat COVID-19, such as drinking eight to 12 glasses of water a day, warm turmeric-ginger tea mix twice daily, freshly squeezed calamansi juice twice daily and taking vitamins.

It also encouraged getting eight hours of sleep, observing healthy and balanced diet, and staying under the sun for half an hour between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

‘Tuob’

Garcia also encouraged employees and those in the province to do steam inhalation, or “tuob,” twice daily.

While social gathering, as well as leisure and tourism activities, is still prohibited, physical exercises, such as swimming in the sea, rivers and other bodies of water between 6 a.m. and noon are encouraged but subject to the rules of physical distancing.“If businesses have to spend anything, it must be to boost the immune system [of their employees],” Garcia said.

Except for Talisay City, where a modified enhanced community quarantine is being implemented, Cebu’s 44 towns and five cities were placed under general quarantine starting May 20.

Garcia’s order allowed the operation of malls around the province but air-conditioning systems would not be turned on to discourage people from loitering there.

—DALE ISRAEL