DAVAO DEL NORTE, Sept. 14 (PIA) - City of Tagum Mayor, Allan Rellon calls on residents to further ensure health protocol compliance after a new COVID19 positive case found to have a stall at Tagum Public Market, was registered recently.

During yesterday's episode of "Yes sa Probinsya", Rellon and Provincial Board Members Roger Laguna and Nicandro Suaybaguio stressed the importance of preventing infection of the virus as it relates to the recent record of new case in the city.

Rellon said that people should always follow at least the minimum health protocols such as the wearing of face mask and maintaining social distance.

"Ang minimum nato face mask jud unya social distancing (Our minimum [health protocols] is face mask and social distance)," he said.

He maintained that it is most important for people not to contract the virus.

"Kinahanglan gyud nga dili ka matakdan. Bahala nag unsay himuon nimo, dili lang ka matakdan (It really is important that you don't get infected. No matter what you do, just don't get infected)," said Rellon.

He added that it is not just for the individuals themselves but also to make sure that their family members are also doing it.

"Dili lang sa atoang kaugalingon but ipaabot pud nato sa atoang mga kapamilya (Not just ourselves but we also need to put that on our family)," said Rellon.

Suaybaguio advised that for people to ensure that they are being cautious, they should act as if everyone is already a carrier.

"Kinahanglan careful. E consider nimo nga tanan carrier para ikaw mag matngon. (What's important is being careful. Consider as if everyone is a carrier so that you will be cautious)," he said.

Among the COVID-19 positive cases reported on September 06 was a stall owner at Tagum Public Market, prompting the COVID-19 Crisis Management of Tagum City to temporarily close the Public Market on September 8 until September 14 for it to undergo decontamination.

With the help of contact tracing on the new positive case, the city has identified 365 people as PUMs and 16 PUIs (persons who have symptoms).

During his Yes sa Probinsya guesting, Rellon said this particular case even prompted him to tell employees stationed at the entire 5th floor of the City Hall to go home because "contact tracing has shown that there are PUMs among the them".

"The entire 5th floor gipa-uli na nako kay naapil man sa tracing (I told the entire 5th floor to go home because they were PUMs according to the tracing)," he said.

As of now, the city has yet to pinpoint where the new case has contracted the virus from. Cited possibility is the travel history to Mangagoy (in Bislig, Surigao del Sur).

Mayor Rellon encouraged people to give and report any information that would help prevent the spread of the virus and assured them that there is nothing wrong in doing so.

"I-Educate nato ang mga tao nga dili ka criminal, biktima lang gud ka gud. For your sake and for the sake of others, kahit false alarm lang na siya, mas maayo jud kung maniguro ta (Let's educate the people that they [the positive cases] are not criminals, they are just victims. For your sake and for the sake of others, even if it's just a false alarm, it's better to be sure)," he said. (Jan Vincent Leuterio, PIA-XI/jmda)