Amid the current threat of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variants, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez urged the public to exercise self discipline, as it is the key to win the battle against this pandemic.

“The bottom line is to not let out guard down, as self-discipline is the best solution to help the government in addressing this health crisis,” the local chief executive emphasized during an interview on Wednesday, March 17.

Mayor Romualdez continues to appeal to the public to strictly comply with all safety and health protocols such as wearing of face masks and face shields, and observance of social distancing, even as it streamlined and eased its COVID-19 guidelines.

To note, protocols in Tacloban City have been minimized, however mandatory isolation or quarantine of confirmed cases, close contacts, and those with flu-like symptoms are still required.

Meantime, though vaccines are now readily available, he advised residents “to not be complacent,” as he received reports that some have started to become ‘lax’ in following health protocols. “It’s been a year and everyone was caught flat-footed. We had the chance to learn from it and now that we do, let’s use it…so that we can gradually go back to our lives before,” he said, noting that the virus is still around and can easily be transmitted. To date, the city has 77 active cases, bringing it to a total of 2068 confirmed cases, with 1941 recoveries and 50 deaths.

C. Merin/CIO