An Assessment of the COVID-19 Policies of Atimonan, Quezon: A Closer Look at Policy Effectiveness

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of June 8, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,777 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,280,773 and the death toll rising up to 22,064 after 95 more patients died from the viral disease. Locally, in Atimonan, Quezon, no more than 543 confirmed cases and 40 mortalities were reported as of December 15. The objectives of the study is to identify the policies implemented, determine the COVID-19 situation in Atimonan, find the relationship between the policies implemented and the COVID-19 situation in Atimonan, and assess the public sentiment towards policies in place. This study was conducted in Atimonan, Quezon with 177 respondents who answered the online survey from the eight chosen barangays composed of four (4) rural and four (4) urban areas. Moreover, two (2) key informants, the Municipal Administrator and the Public Information Officer are the respondents who were interviewed via Zoom. The survey results revealed that the general public agreed that the local government performed well in terms of leadership and governance, health information dissemination, and sufficient medical products and technologies during the pandemic. Moreover, there is neutrality on whether the local government is fully equipped in the aspect of the health workforce, financing, and service delivery to address the pandemic.