By Anthony Giron
Authorities will enforce stricter rules in Cavite’s eight districts during the 14-day duration of the extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Governor Juanito Victor "Jonvic” Remulla, Jr. said as he called on the citizens to unite and follow the rules as it would be for the protection and safety of everyone in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla (JONVIC REMULLA / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Remulla said that the two weeks of the calibrated quarantine operations will start at 12:01 a.m. of May 1 and end on May 15.
Under the calibrated quarantine, the 24-hour curfew will be implemented in the province except for frontliners; food handlers in markets, groceries, “talipapa” (flea markets), “bulungan” (“pondohan” or fish port), supermarkets; bank employees and others rendering financial services; and relief operation volunteers. Residents with quarantine pass holders will be allowed to get out of their houses until 6 p.m. upon implementation.
Remulla said that he met with the provincial and local officials and they came up with the calibrated quarantine rules for implementation.
Under the rules, essential businesses will remain open in the extended ECQ duration such as restaurants for food deliveries and services; dine-in services will still not be allowed.
The mandatory wearing of face mask will be enforced in public places. Violators will be apprehended and charged.
“Tambay” or loitering in the street fronting the house or anywhere in the neighborhood is prohibited. One can, however, stand in the "bakuran" or house vicinity, but not on the street.
Any individual found without the quarantine pass while walking in public places will be apprehended. Quarantine passes are accepted only for “intra-LGU” uses or in the area within the city or municipality.
Authorities encourage senior citizens to stay at home. Seniors with quarantine passes are advised to take care when they are out of their houses.
“Kumpolan” or gatherings will not be allowed during the extended quarantine. Also prohibited is jogging, walking, zumba, or any other exercises by individual or group in public places.
Checkpoints in barangays manned by the PNP-AFP and barangay officers will strictly enforce the extended ECQ rules.
Under the rules, checkpoints will be manned by only four persons, excluding the assigned police and military men.
Employees working at the national government-controlled Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) or economic zones are required to bring their identification cards at all time.
The rules on lockdown or stricter enforced ECQ were initially relayed to the Caviteños by Remulla in a message that he posted on his social media account on Tuesday.
Remulla is expected to expound on the stricter ECQ rules in his succeeding post messages.
The governor, citing a report, said that Region IV-A or the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) area was hit badly by COVID-19, considering its effects on citizens and economic productivity.
The governor said that some P10 billion have been lost in terms of human cost and productivity in the region since the virus struck two months ago. Cavite, Remulla noted, was affected the most in terms of damages.
Cavite has at least 172 COVID-19 cases with 49 recoveries and 23 deaths as per report of the Center for Health Development (CHD)-Region IV-A in its latest update at 3 p.m. on Monday.