ILOILO CITY – Iloilo province was put on enhanced community quarantine on Friday, following the suit of this city to ramp up Iloilo’s defense against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. has signed executive order 080 declaring enhanced community quarantine in the province effective Friday until April 14, 2020.
He said the enhanced community quarantine can be considered a “lock down.” “A lock down because it is a matter of degree. It’s really a stoppage of activities,” Defensor told a press conference Friday.
Based on the order of the governor, Ilonggos shall observe strict home quarantine where movement of people shall be limited only to accessing basic necessities and health needs.
All establishments shall be closed except from establishments providing food and water like markets and grocery stores; establishments providing health needs like hospitals and drug stores; establishments that engage in the processing and storage of food products; and those who provide financial services like banks and pawnshops.
The markets will remain open but Defensor said the “market day” being identified by the local government unit will be suspended.
“The tendencies (in a “market day”) are that the people go out simultaneously. What the executive order really does is we lessen the reasons of the people to go out,” he said.
The public utilities providing transportation, power, energy, water, telecommunications, and cargo handling will continue to operate.
Likewise, agricultural supply stores, gasoline stations, media establishments and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) will be allowed.
Liquor ban will also be imposed during the lockdown period, Defensor said.
Those who are vulnerable to the virus, such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with existing ailments and medical problems shall also be put on reverse isolation procedure.
The order also states that vulnerable persons shall be given priority in the reduction of personnel, rationalization of work hours and implementation of work-from-home arrangements in open establishment and government offices.
Moreover, Defensor said the province will also start implementing on March 21 a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The ordinance implementing curfew hours in the entire province was passed by the Iloilo board members on Thursday.
The ordinance bans people in any public places like streets and plazas during the curfew hours.
Defensor asked three things from Ilonggos during the quarantine period: to practice self-restraint, have patience, and be still.
The measures laid down in the executive order are a simple thing which needs sacrifice to keep the province free from the serious pandemic, he said.
The governor said he needs not to threaten violators of the executive order and the curfew ordinance of the penalties imposed by the government.
“Covid-19 is the penalty. Is there anything worse than that?” he said. (PNA)
