ILOILO CITY — As Iloilo province once again closed its borders to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), local residents are until Friday, July 3, to re-enter the border if they’re coming from other provinces of the Western Visayas region.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said on Thursday they will be considered as locally stranded individuals (LSIs) if they fail to beat the July 3 deadline in entering the province.
This, after Defensor issued a July 1 executive order closing the entry points of Iloilo province that borders Antique, Capiz, and Negros Occidental provinces.
Under the executive order, only residents of the 42 towns, component city of Passi, Iloilo City, and Guimaras province can still enter Iloilo only until July 3.
Border restrictions were supposed to have been lifted under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), but Defensor has become wary with the rising positive COVID-19 cases among LSIs and several transient workers.
“We are reacting to a developing situation. We are still not secure with the regulation of travelling persons outside of our borders,” Defensor said.
The governor also directed Col. Paul Kenneth Lucas, chief of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), to strengthen the checkpoints for incoming trucks transporting basic goods into the province.
The border closure exempts government workers, frontline workers, and those who are being transported for medical treatment.