DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 06 August) – Extended families living under one roof should observe physical distancing to avoid the transmission of Covid-19 among themselves, Mayor Sara Duterte said.
From the City Government of Davao’s FB page.
Duterte said during her live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that it is best for household members to avoid others who are not part of the immediate family, such as one’s mother or father, to arrest the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the city.
“In fact, for households with extended families, if you can avoid other members of your household, if they are not your immediate family, it is better that there should be distancing inside your residence,” she said.
She said that keeping themselves away from the rest of the household—for instance, a second- or third-degree cousin—is the best thing to do amid the pandemic.
“If they are not your mother or father and there is no need – for example, they are just your second cousin or third cousin in the same household – do not go near them,” she said.
Extended families living together in a single house are a common scenario in the Philippines.
The Department of Health-Davao reported earlier that transmission of the virus was happening even among household members.
Duterte appealed to residents to strictly adhere to the basic health protocols, stated in Executive Order 47 issued last Tuesday, such as staying at home, wearing face mask, observing a one-meter distance from other people, and frequent handwashing with soap and water.
She said the city wanted to remain open by maintaining its modified general community quarantine status (MGCQ) classification.
She added she does not want the city to be placed under more stringent quarantine measures, arguing that its effects on keeping the Covid-19 cases low were temporary.
“We want to remain under this status for now. We don’t want to go back to GCQ, MECQ, or ECQ because we have seen, by experience, that its effects on keeping the positive cases were temporary. It’s very temporary and it’s not sustainable and long-term,” she said.
She said what the local government wanted to focus on is reducing transmission and testing to immediately put infected individuals in isolation facilities. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
