CEBU CITY—Strict quarantine protocols will still be implemented even if the city has transitioned to a more relaxed community quarantine.
Starting Saturday, August 1, the city will be under general community quarantine (GCQ), which means more establishments will already be allowed to operate at limited capacity.
Uniformed policemen will still be very visible on the streets to ensure that minimum health standards, such as wearing of facemasks and observing of physical distancing, will be followed, said Police Brig. Gen. Albert Ignaitus Ferro, chief of the Police Regional Office Central Visayas.
Ferro said the policemen that were sent to Cebu from regions 6 and 8 and the 160 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers will remain in the city.
“We cannot afford to commit the same mistakes that we committed before. We cannot afford to go back to a stricter community quarantine,” said Ferro.
Police checkpoints will remain to monitor the movements of motorists as persons aged 60 and below 21 are still advised to stay at home.
“Pregnant women or those with comorbidity should still stay at home unless they have to go to hospitals or have necessary things to do outside,” Ferro said.
Ferro said contact tracing efforts have been enhanced by establishing the regional integrated contact tracing operations center.
“This is to monitor all contact tracing operations in highly urbanized cities. We can easily contact our city directors if there are spike in COVID-19 cases,” said Ferro.
Granular lockdowns will be implemented if 80 percent of the population of an area will be infected with COVID-19, Ferro said.
“I am asking the people in Cebu to continue to cooperate. We should not be complacent even we already under GCQ,” Ferro said.