Iloilo province heightens disease control vs monkeypox

Quarantine, and disease control and prevention measures against monkeypox are being implemented in Iloilo province as mandated by Executive Order 374 issued by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.

“There are already four confirmed monkeypox cases in the Philippines; one coming from the province. There is a need to implement heightened quarantine procedures and disease control and prevention measures for intensified prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration (PDITR) in the campaign against monkeypox,” Defensor indicated in his order.

The governor said the province’s measures implement in “the more practical sense” the issuances of the Department of Health on the disease from May until Aug. 2022 as guided by the PDITR strategy.

“We go back to the reconstitution of our basic machinery,” he said in a press conference.

Among the key measures are the strict observance of the minimum public health standards such as wearing of face masks, frequent handwashing, and safe physical distancing; sustained strict quarantine procedures in ports by the provincial team; intensified and timely barangay surveillance, screening, management and infection control by Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams of monkeypox contacts, and those suspect, probable, and confirmed cases.

Likewise, the creation of the provincial monkeypox contact tracing for fast and efficient tracing; formation of the provincial testing team for strategic and extensive testing; establishment of temporary treatment facilities at the provincial, city/municipalities, and barangays; readiness of the provincial and district hospitals to cater to monkeypox cases; and implementation of psychological response known as Program for Resilience of Iloilo Mind and Emotion.

The governor added that there was a plan to implement symptoms-based screening at the airport for incoming passengers, although not yet decided upon if it would be done for domestic or international passengers.

“This time we will have a time and motion exercise with CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Quarantine, and provincial quarantine team on the opening of international flights from Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.

In the same press conference, Department of Health officer in charge, Maria Rosario Vergeire, said the country’s surveillance system is “working effectively” as evidenced by the four cases of monkeypox that were detected.

She said the strategy for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in ports and the community is also applicable for monkeypox.