TACLOBAN City- With the sudden surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
cases in Eastern Visayas, Mayor Alfred Romualdez, through the
regional inter-agency task force, has ordered that the city revert back to general community quarantine (GCQ) from modified general community quarantine starting Monday, August 24, until September 8.
"As I see it, the sudden surge of cases does not come from locally
stranded individuals (LSIs) but social gatherings. We need to limit
social gatherings. Talagang mag-ingat kayo dahil hindi pa tapos itong
pinaglalaban natin. It is also for your own good kaya huwag
magkampante," the mayor said.
The reclassification was asked by the city government as a preemptive
measure to avoid implementing a lockdown in case the situation
worsens, and in order to balance the economic activity and public
health. However, zonal lockdowns will be implemented in case of
clustering of COVID-19 cases.
Movement of all persons under the GCQ shall be limited to accessing
essential goods and services, and for work in the offices or
industries permitted to operate.
Establishments and restaurants, which were allowed to operate with 50 percent capacity, will now be allowed to do so at 30 percent. Category 4 establishments like clubs, bars,
gyms, events facilities will be totally closed.
The Business Permits and Licensing Division (BPLD) has served several
orders of temporary closure to bars and resto-bars pursuant to the
executive order stating that selling, buying, possession, and
consumption of liquor within the city shall be prohibited. All
gatherings in establishments for purposes of enjoying liquor shall
hereby be penalized.
Restaurants, cafes, and cafeterias, on the other hand, are still
allowed to operate, but only at a limited capacity.
Those who are below 21 years and 60 years old and above, including
those with comorbidity, pregnant, including any person who resides
with them shall be required to remain in their residences at all
times, except when indispensable under the circumstances.
All non-working persons are prohibited to loiter in public places from
9 p.m. to 4 a.m. However, public transportation shall not be
restricted by curfew ordinances.
The city government also warned that persons, who will be reported by
the barangays to have violated protocols under the national and local
issuances will have their QR codes canceled, including those who will
participate in unauthorized gatherings.
This, after the mayor, received reports of mass gatherings in the
previous weeks, citing that it was not the second wave of cases being
experienced, but because the virus has already mutated causing faster
transmission.
"This is something that we can fix. We can do this. Let us help one
another so we can fix this once and for all," he ended.