Negros Oriental declares state of calamity due to COVID-19 threat
By Glazyl Masculino
BACOLOD CITY - The provincial government of Negros Oriental, through the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), has passed a resolution putting the whole province under a state of calamity due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic.
In an advisory, Provincial Public Information Officer Bimbo Miraflor said Governor Roel Degamo ordered the closure of all borders, ports, and airports in the province starting 12:01 a.m. of March 17, and shall remain in full force and effect until April 14.
Miraflor said that all air and sea travel were banned during the effectivity of the executive order.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was also directed to ensure that all airports in Negros Oriental remained closed until further notice.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) were also directed to ensure that all ports in the province remain closed until an order to reopen shall have been issued.
Miraflor said that entry of persons shall be restricted except for all duly identified residents of Negros Oriental, its cities and municipalities, health workers responding to emergency, members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), PCG, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), persons traveling for urgent medical or humanitarian reasons, and persons transporting essential goods, supplies and medicines.
Miraflor said that entry of all non-residents of the province, with or without symptoms of COVID-19, will be denied.
He said they will allow entry to all returning residents of the province, with or without COVID-19 symptoms. All returning residents shall be required to present a valid government issued identification card prior to the entry, he added.
He said that all returning residents must be checked for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and undergo a 14-day home quarantine, endorsement to the barangay or local government unit (LGU) where they reside, Â and monitoring by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs).
The province also ordered that the suspension of classes in all levels for both private and public academic institutions shall remain in full force and extended until further notice.