Vice mayor undergoes quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — Mandaluyong City Vice Mayor Anthony Suva and his family went on self-quarantine after being exposed to a suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient who died on Saturday.

“Me and my whole family are under quarantine because we have been exposed to a possible COVID-19 patient. I regret to say that that patient has died,” Suva said.

The local government has yet to confirm if the patient had been tested for the virus.

As of Saturday, there were 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city: five from Barangay Highway Hills and one each from Barangays Plainview, Daang Bakal, Hulo, Vergara, Wackwack, Mauway, Addition Hills and Ilaya.

No quarantine passes in Pasig

In Pasig, the city government decided to forgo the use of quarantine passes.

“We do not need quarantine passes in the city,” Mayor Vico Sotto said yesterday after clarifying the matter with the Philippine National Police and the Joint Task Force Coronavirus Shield.

Sotto said exemptions for the enhanced community quarantine have been set by the local government, adding that allowing one person per household to go out to buy essential needs would expose them to the virus.

Makati students get aid

The Makati city government will distribute P85 million worth of food packs to the city’s students and their families.

Each food pack contains raisins, oatmeal, cheese, instant hotcake, arroz caldo, champorado mixes, milk, tonic food drink, cereals, biscuits, crackers, fruit jelly, instant noodles, pineapple tidbits and pineapple juice.

Mayor Abby Binay said 44,951 kindergarten and elementary pupils and 37,044 high school students would benefit from the program.

Manila distributes food packs

In Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno yesterday started the house-to-house distribution of food packs to residents of three barangays affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

Moreno was accompanied by Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna when he visited Barangay 362 in Sta. Cruz and Barangays 497 and 585 in Sampaloc.

Moreno asked the residents to stay home, saying the food packs would be delivered in three batches.

Local officials said the city has enough supply of food for 1.78 million residents.

Manila Police District director Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda said they are prepared to respond to possible incidents of looting and bank heist “as people could go hungry because of the lockdown due to COVID-19.”