Arriving Iranians, Italians to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine in Cebu
By Calvin Cordova
CEBU CITY – As part of the measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order (EO) that would require passengers arriving in Cebu from Italy and Iran to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The new directive reinforces the previous EO issued by the governor requiring passengers from Hong Kong, Macau, China and Daegu City in South Korea to undergo mandatory quarantine upon arrival in Cebu.
After meeting with representatives of various government agencies last Monday, Garcia said they decided to include passengers from Iran and Italy due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the two countries.
Garcia said it was noted that, as of March 9, 7,375 cases of COVID-19 with 366 deaths have been recorded in Italy, while Iran already has 6,566 cases with 194 deaths.
The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH 7) announced that there are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region.
“We do not have anymore PUIs (Patients Under Investigation) and PUMs (Person Under Monitoring (PUM) in the entire Region 7,” said Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH 7 regional director.
Dr. Terrence Anthony Bermejo, chief of Bureau of Quarantine-Central Visayas, said the agency remains on heightened alert especially at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) where “extra screening” is being conducted.
“With extra screening, we will be screening all passengers from Cebu to other international destinations,” Bermijo said.
Bernadas advised the public to stay calm.
Bernadas said they were still awaiting the approval from the DOH Central Office to activate the sub-national laboratory testing at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
VSMMC serves as the testing center in Visayas for people with suspected COVID-19 diseases.
On the other hand, the Commission on Elections-Central Visayas (Comelec 7) has suspended its voter’s registration for the next elections.
Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Provincial Elections Supervisor in Sugbo, said the registration was suspended starting yesterday until March 31.
Castillano said the registration has to be suspended since there is a close contact during the taking of biometrics.
The Department of Education has also decided to cancel the holding of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA), which was supposed to be held on March 15-21 in Dumaguete City.(