DAVAO CITY – The city government of Davao will lift the 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, and will no longer require the Dabawenyos to present food and medicine (FM) pass in public markets, groceries, and pharmacies starting Monday, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said.
In her interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Friday, Duterte said she will be issuing an executive order that would detail the new guidelines for Dabawenyos, following the approval of the local government’s appeal to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease for the city to remain under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) until August 15.
“Why do we need to lift food and medicine pass and curfew? It’s because we want people to self-regulate. We remain under quarantine, and it’s called a modified general community quarantine,” she said.
The curfew has been in effect for more than four months since March 19.
Duterte reminded the people that they still need to observe the precautionary measures to slow down the transmission of COVID-19 in the city, such as staying at home and avoiding going out for non-essential purposes.
She said the local government will be reinstating stricter measures if the number of COVID-19 cases would continue to spike.
She said Sunday masses would also be allowed.
“We want people to understand, and it should come from them, that they need to practice (basic health protocols). Remember there is no vaccine, no medicines, and this will be here until we do not know when. People should understand that there is a quarantine, there is a need to stay home; number 2, wear a mask if you are going to work; and number 3, if you are going out, wear mask and observe distancing,” she said.
She said the local government hopes to keep the number of cases manageable, “otherwise the city will be closed again which is something that we do not want to happen.”
“Nobody wants to go back to GCQ (general community quarantine), nobody wants to go back to MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine), and nobody wants to go back to ECQ (enhanced community quarantine,” she said.
She said she wants the people to get used to the protocols under the new normal because the pandemic “will not go away tomorrow.”
The entire city was placed under ECQ from April 4 to May 15, GCQ from May 16 until June 30, and MGCQ last July 1, and this has been extended until August 15.
“We are on MGCQ for the third time. For the last two extensions, that was based on appeal by the local government unit to IATF which were approved,” she said.