By Glazyl Masculino
BACOLOD CITY - The provincial government of Negros Occidental downgraded its status from the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ) from May 1 to May 15, while the city government of Bacolod extended its ECQ from April 30 to May 15.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued separate executive orders (EO) on Thursday.
Lacson earlier said that he was not yet keen on lifting the ECQ because of two additional confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the province the previous week, bringing the total to four.
However, Lacson made the decision to downgrade the status from ECQ to GCQ, citing Resolution 28 of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Emerging Infectious Diseases against COVID-19, which excluded the province in the list of areas where the ECQ should be extended until May 15.
Lacson said that the province was already classified by the national IATF as among the “moderate risk” areas, thus, it will follow its recommendation. The governor already informed the mayors about it in a teleconference.
Based on EO 20-23, Lacson said that essential businesses allowed to fully operate are agriculture, fishery, manufacturing and processing plants, hospitals and clinics, dental clinics, supermarkets, convenience stores, public markets, and drug stores, food preparation and water refilling stations, logistics service providers, delivery services, postal and courier activities, waste collection, power energy, water collection, internet providers, telecommunication, packaging raw materials, media, and gasoline stations.
Sectors allowed to partially operate are manufacturing of beverages, cement and steel, electrical machinery, furniture, non-metallic products, textile and wearing apparels, tobacco products, paper products, rubber and plastic products, other non-metallic mineral products, computer, electronic, and optical products, electrical equipment, machinery, motor vehicles and other transport equipment, repair shops, housing and other real estate activities, office services, sports with physical distancing, malls and commercial centers such as hardwares, clothing and accessories and non-leisure stores, barbershops and salons, retail trade and repair of motor vehicles, construction, forestry, , publishing activities, advertising and market research, and administrative staff of public and private schools.
Government offices, financial services such as banks, capital markets, business processing outsourcing, non-leisure, shoe and retail trade, are allowed provided they will consider working from home and working on the site.
Establishments will remain closed under GCQ are schools, leisure, amusement and gaming facilities, tourism, all major gatherings, gyms, entertainment, business, political, sports, and religious-related mass gatherings, libraries, museums, gambling, and betting activities, and travel agencies. The province also imposed modified home quarantine for senior citizens and persons below 20 years old.
"While we are now mandated to be placed on GCQ, there are still limitations particularly for persons who may be allowed to go out of their residences," Lacson said, stressing that curfew is still a must and will be strictly implemented by the local government units (LGUs). Public transportation may operate at a reduced capacity in accordance with the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
He said that heightened patrol in seaports and borders, mandatory used of face masks, and extension of provincial ECQ passes will still be imposed.
Meanwhile, Leonarida said that he decided to extend the ECQ here, considering the number COVID-19 confirmed cases, and the several pending swab test results at the biolabs.
He said that 457 underwent COVID-19 testing here. Of the total figure, 270 were negative, nine were positive, and 178 are still pending.
The ninth COVID-19 positive patient here had no travel history, which means that there is a local transmission, he said, claiming that it was very alarming.
"We don't want to loosen up and put our guards down to regret. We have to make sure because we don't want to put everything into waste," he said.
The city government has earlier appealed with the national IATF for the extension of the ECQ here. In fact, Leonardia wrote a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte asking to consider their request. Their appeal was approved on Thursday.
Based on EO 34, Leonardia said that an oversight committee shall be created, composed of five members, including one chairperson, which shall devote its study in the trend and updates of the underlying conditions during the ECQ, and shall recommend to the mayor whatever necessary measures that may be appropriate to undertake on any obtaining events, all in coordination with the city's IATF.