Densely populated quarter in Marikina put on 'neighborhood quarantine,' after city link map helped identify COVID-19 positive patient
By Jhon Aldrin Casinas
A link map of those who came in close contact with persons infected with the new coronavirus has helped the Marikina City government discover a resident positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), forcing authorities to impose a “neighborhood quarantine” in a street where the resident lives.
Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro ordered the neighborhood quarantine of F. Manalo Street in Barangay Nangka starting Friday after a resident of the densely populated area got infected with the dreaded disease.
Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro shows the link map used by the local government to track those who came in close contact with COVID-19 cases in the city. Mayor Marcy has ordered the lockdown of F. Manalo Street in Barangay Nangka after one resident tested positive for COVID-19. (Marikina LGU Photos / MANILA BULLETIN)
He said the quarantine is a precautionary measure to stop the transmission of COVID-19 in the community to ensure the safety of the public.
“F. Manalo Street will remain under neighborhood quarantine until contact tracing and testing is completed,” Teodoro said in a statement.
“This is part of what we call effective containment measures,” he added.
Teodoro noted that part of the strict quarantine measure is to conduct expanded mass testing and massive disinfection in the area.
The mayor explained that the link map is a system used by the local government to trace persons or individuals who have had direct contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city.
He said persons who had been exposed to COVID-19 patients are one of the basis used in the creation of the link map.
“We have conducted contact tracing of 109 patients with COVID-19. Due to the contact tracing, we have created a link map to keep track of those who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients,” Teodoro said.
With the mass testing currently being conducted in Marikina, the local government is expecting a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
For the implementation of the neighborhood quarantine along the said street, Teodoro said community volunteers will man the boundary checkpoints of the closed down area.
“We have given them proper protocols and guidelines on what to do not only to keep them safe but to effectively and efficiently implement the quarantine measures here at F. Manalo,” he explained.
Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro shows the link map used by the local government to track those who came in close contact with COVID-19 cases in the city. Mayor Marcy has ordered the lockdown of F. Manalo Street in Barangay Nangka after one resident tested positive for COVID-19. (Marikina LGU Photos / MANILA BULLETIN)
He said the quarantine is a precautionary measure to stop the transmission of COVID-19 in the community to ensure the safety of the public.
“F. Manalo Street will remain under neighborhood quarantine until contact tracing and testing is completed,” Teodoro said in a statement.
“This is part of what we call effective containment measures,” he added.
Teodoro noted that part of the strict quarantine measure is to conduct expanded mass testing and massive disinfection in the area.
The mayor explained that the link map is a system used by the local government to trace persons or individuals who have had direct contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city.
He said persons who had been exposed to COVID-19 patients are one of the basis used in the creation of the link map.
“We have conducted contact tracing of 109 patients with COVID-19. Due to the contact tracing, we have created a link map to keep track of those who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients,” Teodoro said.
With the mass testing currently being conducted in Marikina, the local government is expecting a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
For the implementation of the neighborhood quarantine along the said street, Teodoro said community volunteers will man the boundary checkpoints of the closed down area.
“We have given them proper protocols and guidelines on what to do not only to keep them safe but to effectively and efficiently implement the quarantine measures here at F. Manalo,” he explained.