Returning residents of Maasin City in Southern Leyte will receive one-time food assistance from the local government instead of free meals within the duration of their 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Mayor Nacional Mercado in a statement on Tuesday said they no longer provide the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of returnees housed in quarantine facilities since July 16 since they have to manage their limited resources.
“The health crisis has greatly impacted and is pushing the city to the limit. With very limited human and logistical resources, our local funds are also dwindling fast in addressing the continuing arrivals of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),” he added.
The local government will provide 10 kilos of rice for each adult returnee and five kilos for each 12 years old and below, plus five cans of sardines and five packs of noodles.
On the other hand, those confirmed positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) or reactive in the rapid diagnostic test housed in isolation facilities will still be provided with free meals until discharged and reintegrated into their community.
From July 14 to 20, the local government has welcomed 85 LSIs and 13 OFWs housed in its designated quarantine facilities.
Mercado said this quarantine measure upon arrival of returning residents must be adopted to protect the public and prevent the local transmission of Covid-19.
“However, with the city’s existing financial situation and the uncertainty of the time when this pandemic will cease, there is a need to creatively manage our limited resources to sustain the needs of our constituents,” he added.
To date, the city has no active case of Covid-19, since its first eight confirmed patients have already recovered.
Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas has confirmed a total of 675 cases, including 642 recoveries and three deaths, according to the Department of Health (DOH) monitoring report.
The DOH said the region has maintained a high recovery rate since more than 90 percent of its confirmed cases are asymptomatic.
To date, the region has 30 active coronavirus cases housed in isolation and quarantine facilities. (PNA)
