REVISTA PALMAS 68 OCTUBRE 2022

the PRESIDENT SAYS! erasmo reyes
There is always a reason to be thankful. We must
not forget what I pointed out at the beginning of
these lines. While it is true that we were all affected by
FIONA, we cannot forget that:
1. We had a lot of sun in our Summer
2. We had our family and friends by our side
3. We had fun and Summer joys
If we think about it, we must recognize that the effects
of FIONA were temporary and brief. Your loss of
comfort due to lack of electricity was overcome, water
was always available, the security was always present,
the cleaning was carried out promptly, the fumigation
was established, trees were replanted, the signage
was replaced and the services in PHA were provided
as usual every day.
Certainly, we all collect more lessons and in such a collection PHA
is included. This is because of our commitment to service in your favor,
our neighbors and friends, owners of Palmas del Mar. Today after
passing this test, in my name and the entire PHA Board of Directors
I reaffirm the commitment of service under normal circumstances or
emergency; with sun, with rain; with calmness or hurricane.
Siempre hay motivos para agradecer. No debemos olvidar eso que
he señalado al comenzar estas líneas. Si bien es cierto que todos fuimos
afectados por FIONA, no Podemos olvidar que:
• Tuvimos mucho sol en nuestro verano
• Tuvimos a nuestra familia y amigos a nuestro lado
• Tuvimos diversión y alegrías veraniegas, Pero si pensamos un poquito
más, tenemos que reconocer que aquello que nos afectó por FIO-
NA fue bien pasajero y breve. Tu perdida del confort de la electricidad
se superó, el agua no nos faltó, la seguridad dijo presente, la limpieza
se realizó prontamente, se estableció la fumigación, se replantó, se reemplazó
la rotulación y se brindó como cosa de todos los días los servicios
en PHA.
Ciertamente todos acopiamos más lecciones y en tal acopio PHA está
incluido. Esto es por nuestro compromiso de servicio en favor de ustedes
nuestros vecinos y amigos, propietarios de Palmas del Mar. Hoy con la
prueba superada este servidor, toda la Junta de Directores se reafirma
en el compromiso de servicio en la normalidad y en la emergencia; con
sol, con Lluvia; con calma y con tempestad.
Erasmo Reyes
PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ACTIVATES PROTOCOLS WITH SUSPECTED
LEPTOSPIROSIS AND CONFIRMED DENGUE FEVER CASES AFTER HURRICANE FIONA
By JA Quiñones, ESQ PHA Executive Director
Puerto Rico health officials are advising residents, given the increase
suspected leptospirosis cases, to avoid having contact with water, soil,
or food that may have been contaminated with urine (or other secretions)
of infected animals. To date, a total of 72 suspected cases have
been reported after the passage of Hurricane Fiona.
The Department of Health indicates that a person with a fever, headache,
muscles aches, bloodshot eyes, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal
pain, jaundice (skin and eyes yellowish), rash and cough, who has been
walking barefoot through flooding areas, or has been collecting debris
without adequate protections, could be infected with this disease. If
you meet the above reported criteria, seeking immediate medical attention
saves lives.
Here are recommendations issued by the Health Department to
avoid getting infected with leptospirosis include: (1) Use protective
shoes, do not walk, swim, bathe, submerge your head or swallow flood
water or from any body of water that may be contaminated with urine
from animals or flood water, (2) Cover skin cuts with waterproof bandages
or Band-Aids or other type of material that does not allow the
entry of water, and wear long-sleeved clothing, cover most part of the
skin, wear gloves, safety glasses and closed shoes, (3) Do not use flood
water or water bodies to clean the house or wash clothing, and (4) Keep
food and garbage in closed containers and, if you can, put up rat traps.
Similarly, health officials have reported an increased number of Dengue
Fever cases, with a total of 236 confirmed and 50 other probable
cases. The passage of Hurricane Fiona has aggravated this situation,
primarily due to the accumulation of non-running water which fosters
mosquito hatcheries. The Puerto Rico Department of
Health have reported that at least 107 confirmed cases
have required hospital treatment, and 10 have been
deemed a severe case of Dengue Fever. No fatalities
have been reported.
Recommendations issued by the Health Department
to avoid getting infected Dengue fe-
ver
include: (1) Remove Standing Water Around Residences
Where Mosquitos Lay Eggs, and empty and scrub, turn
over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires,
buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash
containers as Mosquitoes lay eggs near water, (2) Tightly cover water
storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so mosquitoes cannot
get inside to lay eggs, and containers without lids, use wire mesh
to protect, (3) fill tree holes to prevent them from filling with water, and
use larvicides to treat large bodies of water that will not be used for
drinking and cannot be covered or dumped out, always follow label instructions,
and (4) the appropriate use protective mosquito repellent is
recommended.
Puerto Rico residents, especially zones affected by Hurricane Fiona,
have been urged to establish preventive measures within their respective
homes, by overseeing patios and properties as mosquitoes rest in
dark, humid areas like under patio furniture or under the carport or garage.
The use of insecticides is recommended, always following label
instructions. s