With so many challenges, natural and man-made, facing our country including the myriad personal problems we face on a daily basis, it would be easy to push some problems on the side to make room for others that we deem more compelling or need immediate solution.
Admittedly, that seems to be the most rational thing to do. We really do have to prioritize the things we must do now to those we can do later to achieve a modicum of control in our lives.
However, in our prioritizing of things, we should just make sure that we do not become complacent or even totally forget challenges that continue to be with us for the past years and counting. Just like Covid-19 and its ever-increasing variants that continue to threaten the world’s health and still causing financial disruption in many countries for two years now. We really do have to live with it, I guess.
With the relaxing of mask mandates and the opening of local and international destinations to tourists, it behooves us to still adhere to minimum public health standards, have ourselves vaccinated, and strengthen our immune system by living healthy lives.
Easier said than done, of course, but it still must be done. We should never be complacent in this age of Covid and other diseases, for that matter. Our lives and that of our loved ones depend on it. Just saying.
Anyway, with the Yuletide season in full swing, the Summer Capital continues to be under low risk (level 1) status in terms of Covid-19 infections despite a spike in the city’s two-week growth rate from (-)2 to 44 percent in cases, according to City Health Services Officer Rowena Galpo during the Nov. 8 management committee meeting at City Hall.
She said the city’s Covid-19 positivity rate for the past two weeks also jumped from 8.34 to 18.57 percent while its weekly infection rate slightly increased from 1.15 to 1.62.
The city’s average daily attack rate during the same period increased from 3.2/100,000 to 4.6/100,000; while the average tests (RT-PCR) done in the past two weeks declined from 136 to 108.
The city’s hospital critical utilization rate upped from 12.93 to 19.79 percent (75/379); while its isolation facility bed occupancy remained constant at 5.6 percent (15/267).
As of Nov. 5, this year, Omicron remains to be the dominant Covid-19 variant of concern in Baguio causing 70 percent of infections, Galpo said. This is followed by the Delta variant at 17 percent; Alpha, nine percent; and Beta infecting four percent of cases.
In response to the local government’s notice of call for accreditation, then Acting City Mayor Faustino Olowan signed city council resolutions 497 to 500, all series of 2020, accrediting the United Architects of the Philippines-Summer Capital Chapter; Onjon Ni Ivadoy Association Inc.; NorthWestern Luzon League of Cooperatives; and Baguio Apaches, Inc., respectively.
The august body’s committee on appropriations and finance, cluster C, in its 4th endorsement dated Oct. 18, found these applicants to have sufficiently submitted and are compliant with all the requirements of the law, and has recommended the accreditations.
The accreditations are pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Code and its implementing rules and regulations including pertinent memorandum circulars of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
However, the accreditations are also coterminous with that of the local chief executive.
The organizations are now eligible for selection as members of the city’s local special bodies and to the sectoral or functional committees of the Local Development Council in accordance to its guidelines.
The organizations are tasked to submit to the city council their annual accomplishment reports and financial statements on or before the 20th day of January of every year.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless and keep us all safe.
