ILOILO CITY—There is a two-week lockdown in Passi City, Iloilo beginning Thursday, January 28, after more than 100 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were recorded.
This was after Mayor Stephen A. Palmares issued an order reverting Passi City into enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until February 11.
“I am asking for everybody’s cooperation and understanding. I know the decision of placing the entire city under ECQ is not favorable to some, but we need to strictly implement guidelines so that COVID-19 cases will not increase anymore,” Palmares said.
The local government conducted mass COVID-19 testing Wednesday, January 27, at the public market. Out of the 600 vendors, more than 100 turned out to be positive for COVID-19.
“This is the city’s highest recorded confirmed COVID-19 cases in a single day,” Palmares emphasized.
Test results were quickly released by the Philippine Red Cross, which has a molecular laboratory in Passi City.
With the two-week lockdown, only business establishments that provide food and water will remain open. Restaurants and food stalls will be closed. Health-related services such as hospitals, medical clinics and pharmacies are allowed to open.
There are border checkpoints in every barangay (village) to limit movement of residents, a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and liquor ban.
Meanwhile, Passi City’s highway will remain open to vehicles passing by for those traveling between the provinces of Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo.