By Warren Valdez DAVAO CITY - The city will be placed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting Saturday after Mayor Sara Duterte signed on Thursday, April 2, Executive Order No. 23 providing the guidelines of an enhanced community quarantine in the city. The EO states that “the epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists demand that people stay in their houses to arrest the spread of infection.” “It becomes necessary to supplement existing community quarantine guidelines under the Executive Order 20-A Series of 2020 and impose stricter measures for this purpose,” the EO said. The EO said the implementation of the ECQ to suppress the spread of the COVID- 19 will begin 9 p.m. on April 4 until 11:59 of April 19. The executive order mandates that all government offices must work from home, and leave minimal employees to continue to work in offices except those involved in security, health, social services, sanitation, and disaster, “who must continue their work in full operation.” “Whenever possible, skeletal workforce arrangement must be implemented and at all times physical distancing between employees must be observed. Meanwhile, all other establishments and private offices not mentioned but are considered essential sectors, including but not limited to energy, water, telecommunications, must work only for preventive maintenance and during emergencies. Ambulant food vendors, who are using different modes of transportation to sell basic commodities in the barangays, will be allowed to ply their trade during the ECQ. The order, however, specified that the basic commodities to be sold are rice, bread, meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, cooking oil, and other food condiments. The executive order further states that all jeepneys must stop their operation, except those hired to work for the government or offices and businesses that are open during the ECQ. Among the modes of transportation allowed in the city during ECQ are private vehicles and taxis provided that there is only a driver, one passenger in front and one passenger at the back, observing physical distancing; tricycle with one driver and one passenger in front and one passenger at the back, observing physical distancing. Employee’s ID or the city government-issued food and medicine pass with a valid ID must always be carried by individuals going out on the streets as law enforcement officers or barangay checkpoints may ask for their identification. However, there is no need for any ID or pass in the event of an emergency. “People cannot go out of their houses, except emergencies,” the EO added, noting that curfew hours in the city starts from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The EO also states that there are workers exempted of the curfew. These include individuals employed in government offices related to security, health, social services, sanitation, and disaster. Employees of 24 hours groceries/conveniences stores, wet market/palengekes, food commissaries, food processing or manufacturing, food delivery services, hospitals, medical laboratories, pharmacies, durgstores, other health services/personnel, doctor’s and dentist’s clinics, gas stations, and mass media outlets are also exempted from the curfew. Meanwhile, minors, senior citizen, pregnant women, sick, immunocompromised individuals are not allowed to go out of their residences except for hospital and medical-related reasons. Duterte said that the ECQ will last only for two weeks.