BATANES – After the province recorded its first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the provincial government here will be placing the entire province under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting 12:01 a.m. on September 30 until 11:59 October 13.
The provincial government adopted Evecutive Order No. 41 to limit the movement of the population, and to avoid further transmission of the viral disease ever since a 29-year-old male locally stranded individual (LSI) tested positive for COVID-19.
READ MORE: First COVID-19 case confirmed in Batanes
The LSI arrived from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and arrived in Batanes last September 22 onboard a Philippine Air Force repatriation flight.
While the patient remains asymptomatic, he has been taken to an isolation facility for close monitoring.
The decision to implement ECQ in the province was made by the Health Cluster of the Provincial COVID-19 Task Force.
With the ECQ in place, the set public health standards, such as wearing of face masks and face shields, observing physical distancing, and proper hygiene, will be strictly implemented for the public, in offices and establishments all over Batanes.
Mass gatherings and face-to-face interactions will also be prohibited, and only one person per household will be allowed to go outside residences for essential actitivies.
Residents 21 years old and below, and those who are 60 years old and above, and individuals with health risks are advised to stay at home except when acquiring basic goods and services, or for those who are working in the allowed industries.
Traditional farming and fishing activities will be allowed with the corresponding health protocols.
Public transport, including commercial flights and motorcycle back riding, will also be banned in the two-week ECQ in Batanes.
In addition, private establishments, who offer basic goods and services, will be allowed to operate only until 7 p.m., except for pharmacies and drugstores.
The police and military forces with barangay tanods will help in monitoring the movement of the population, and will be deployed at outposts.