TACLOBAN CITY - Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda has placed the entire city proper under a hard lockdown for 14 days, and the rest of the city under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) due to a spike in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, as well as confirmed community transmission of the virus.
The Provincial Health Office of Eastern Samar has also tagged the city as a high-risk area, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Agda’s order will take effect starting 12 midnight of Monday, January 18, to midnight of February1.
He said only essential travel will be allowed going to and from the city and the Poblacion area, including work in the government and private sector, health emergencies, and for purchasing food and medicine.
In addition to going through triage, all persons coming to the city will be required to present pertinent documents. However, cargo trucks carrying essential goods shall be allowed to enter the city unhampered.
Barangays tagged as critical zones shall maintain barangay checkpoints.
Persons from buffer zone barangays should have quarantine passes when passing through checkpoints.
No person shall be allowed to enter the buffer nor the barangay checkpoints without wearing face masks and face shields and presenting their QR code.
All forms of mass gatherings will not be allowed, while curfew will be implemented from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. All persons below 21 and above 60 will not be allowed to go out of their homes, except for work and when buying essentials.
A liquor ban will be implemented during the lockdown. Restaurants shall not accept dine-in and shall only accept takeout orders. Tourism sites shall cease operations, including category 4 establishments such as beauty parlors, barbershops, and spas. All contact sports shall be prohibited.
Meanwhile, Agda assured that the city government will provide food assistance to affected families which will be required to undergo strict home quarantine.