The Provincial Health Office of Agusan del Sur cleared 128 Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) on April 18, 2020 in a brief ceremony held in Langkilaan Elementary School, this municipality.
Unaware of the Regional Lockdown declared on April 2, 2020 by Caraga Inter-Agency Task Force for CoViD-19, said persons who arrived on the same date were restricted to enter in the Davao-Agusan-Caraga checkpoint, and were forced to spend two nights in the borders before their official quarantine days commenced on April 4.
Initially, some individuals expressed disappointment having been barred to enter the province claiming no idea of the lockdown; but later appreciated the decision made by the AgSur CoViD-19 Incident Management Team (IMT) concluding safety of every Agusanon as the primary reason of their mandatory isolation.
Provincial Sanitary Inspector Jet Jonathan Delos Angeles in his debriefing to the PUMs stressed that their clearance from Trento is not over, until they complete an additional five-day home quarantine upon arrival to their respective residences.
Delos Angeles added a reminder to disinfect everything they carry into their houses and to refrain from engaging close physical contact with family members until five-day isolation extension is over.
Notwithstanding from the discomfort of mandatory quarantine, the PUMs excitedly received from the PHO their individual clearance, relief goods, and Five Hundred Pesos cash.
Then commenced the exodus – 55 to Prosperidad, 35 to Bayugan City, 8 to Loreto, 7 to San Luis, 6 to San Francisco, 5 to Esperanza, 4 to Rosario, 4 to Veruela, and 4 to Trento.
Among other persons who witnessed the short ceremony were PGAS and PHO Staff, members of the IMT, Media Personnel, and representatives from different LGUs who fetched their graduates.
Allen Joe A. Lumanta, MIO