More than 20,000 people were apprehended, warned and fined for violations of various quarantine rules during the first day of the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila although those accosted include those from four adjacent provinces of the metropolis.
Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the violators include more than 500 people who were either insisting or making an alibi to enter the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna (referred to as NCR Plus Bubble) although they were classified as non-APORs, or non-Authorized Persons Outside Residence.
Of the 494 people denied entry in NCR Plus Bubble, 119 of them were denied entry in Metro Manila, 56 in Laguna, 129 in Cavite, five in Rizal and 184 in Bulacan.
The border control points in the four adjacent provinces of Metro Manila are considered as the first layer of stricter implementation of unnecessary travels going to the NCR.
On the other hand, a total 58 individuals were documented claiming to be APOR but were not able to show proof.
Quoting data from the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, Eleazar said that from 12:01 of August 6 to 4 a.m. of August 7, 2021, a total of 20,511 violators were either apprehended or warned. Some, however, were fined based on the existing ordinance of the Local Government Units.
Of the figure, a total of 14,775 were for violations of the Minimum Public Health Standards (e.g. not wearing/improper wearing of face mask, face shield, mass gathering, non-observance of social/physical distancing, and RA 11332 otherwise known as the “Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases”).
On the other hand, a total of 5,781 were sanctioned in relation to the implementation of uniform curfew hours.
Curfew hours
On the implementation of uniform curfew hours, Eleazar said that Metro Manila which is under ECQ posted the highest number of violators with 4,394 (605 Warned; 1,235 Fined; 353 Released For Filing; while 2,201underwent Community Service).
This was followed by Cavite which is under MECQ (Modified ECQ) with 540 (530 Warned while 10 underwent Community Service).
Laguna which is under ECQ recorded 471 violators (425 Warned and 46 Fined) followed by Rizal which is under MECQ with 370 (342 warned while 18 underwent Community Service) and Bulacan which is under GCQ with Heightened Restrictions with 6 violators who were all fined.
MPHS violators
On violation of the Minimum Public Health Standard (MPHS) particularly on the non-wearing of facemask, Metro Manila tallied the highest number of violators with 1,664 (910 Warned while 62 Fined/issued Citations) followed by Cavite with 536 (521 Warned while 9 underwent Community Service), then Laguna with 383 (333 Warned, 31 Fined while 19 underwent Community Service), Rizal with 143 (136 warned while 7 Fined/issued Citations), and Bulacan with 23 Fined/issued Citations.
On wearing of face shield, there were 5,649 violators accosted with Laguna obtaining the highest number of violators 1,966 (1,958 warned, 2 Fined/issued Citations, while 6 underwent Community Service), followed by Cavite with 1,703 violators who were all warned.
Metro Manila has 1,179 violators (403 warned while 776 Fined/issued Citations). Rizal placed fourth with 801 (723 Warned, 4 Fined/issued Citations while 74 underwent Community Service). No violators were documented in Bulacan.
On improper wearing of face shield, a total of 2,201 violators were accosted, with Laguna having the highest number of violators with 735 (731 warned while 4 underwent Community Service), followed by Cavite and NCR with 716 and 536 (all of them were just warned)
Rizal logged at 214 violators who were also warned while no violators were recorded in Bulacan.
On the other hand, a total of 35 people were accosted for mass gathering while 902 were accosted for non-observance of Social/Physical Distancing.
For Non-observance of social/physical distancing, Metro Manila again obtained the highest data with 486 violators (180 Warned while 360 Fined/issued Citations) followed by Laguna with 254 (242 Warned while 12 underwent Community Service), then Cavite with 118 (83 warned, 27 Fined/issued Citations while eight people underwent Community Service).
Meanwhile, Rizal had 44 violators who were all warned while no violations were documented in Bulacan.