After a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan City, Hubei, Province of China last December 31, 2019, Chinese Health Authorities preliminary identified the cause of this viral pneumonia as a new or novel type of coronavirus.

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         With an increasing number of cases spreading to various territories and confirmed human-to-human transmission, the World Health Organization, on January 30, 2020, declared the outbreak as a Global Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This action was a call for all countries to prepare for containment, which include active surveillance, early detection, isolation, case management, and contact tracing to prevent further spread. By March 11, 2020, the WHO declared COVID 19 a pandemic with 118,000 reported confirmed cases affecting 110 countries and territories.

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         As of this writing, there is a total of 16.7 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19) worldwide affecting 215 countries with 9.76 million recoveries. Also, as of this writing there is a total of 85,486 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 26,886 recoveries in the Philippines. This said disease entity is the current public health issue that people around the globe is facing and have been continuously battling against. As described by the WHO, COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak and was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.  As of the recent studies and researches about this new strain of virus, most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Infected patients may exhibit symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and in some cases, muscle pain and sore throat. If susceptible individuals, such as the elderly, the child, and the immunocompromised, will be infected, complications may ensue, leading to death. Some patients may also be asymptomatic, making these unassuming individuals as dangerous carriers and transmitters of the virus.

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          The Philippine Republic has had a mixed bag in terms of the governance during this crisis. On March 16, 2020, five days after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic amid the threats it posed to more than 100 countries, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte placed the entire Philippines under a State of Calamity. Cities and provinces avowed restrictions in travel, shutting down of schools and non-essential businesses, and implementations of lockdown measures like curfew hours and quarantine passes.

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           In spite of all these means, the cases in the Philippines has since risen drastically in comparison to neighboring ASEAN countries, trailing only Indonesia in number of total cases and mortality, while alarmingly leading Southeast Asia in terms of new daily cases (Shira, 2020.) In the Zamboanga Peninsula alone, more than 500 total cases have been reported according to the DOH COVID-19 Tracker, with around 300 cases still being managed, and 200 cases successfully treated compared to 12 deaths. This has led to an overwhelm in our healthcare delivery system, with limited healthcare workers, insufficient bed capacities, and lack of testing kits, all of which are vital to the tracking, identification, and management of the infected populace.

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           The Inter- Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF- EID) National Action Plan with strategies “Detect, Isolate and Treat” and the development of minimum public health standards shall form the backbone of response to COVID 19 outbreak in Barangay Maras.

As we continue to approach the uncertainty of this disease entity and until a safe, and effective vaccine is available, we continue to proceed with our daily activities in the context of “New Normal”. This context of “New Normal” follows protective practices, such as social and physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and wearing of face mask that could help in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

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             All of the activities of the group shall adhere to new normal guidelines as imposed by the government. The group intends to contribute in strengthening the awareness of the people and as well as clear out misconceptions about COVID-19. Health teachings will be conducted to the people of the community to prevent further infection from COVID 19. All sectors of the community participate in the response to COVID-19 and in preventing the spread of this virus. Community must be empowered that services and aid are planned and adapted based on the local context. They must also participate in community education, case finding, contact tracing and cooperation with social distancing and appropriate wearing of facemask.