LOCKDOWN. Elson Amado A. Egargue, chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in Aurora, says the province was placed on total lockdown on Sunday (March 22, 2020), with all its borders closed to all people, including residents. The move is to contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease. (Photo by Jason de Asis)
BALER, Aurora — This province was placed on total lockdown on Sunday with all its borders closed to all people, including residents trying to enter here.
Acting Governor Christian M. Noveras, in an executive order, said the lockdown, meant to ward off the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19), was imposed effective immediately until lifted.
“Governor Noveras imposed a travel ban to and from the province and shall be in effect for all travelers, including residents of the province, except for those with cargoes bringing important deliveries and authorized persons only,” said Elson Amado A. Egargue, chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Egargue said exempted are those in need of emergency medical attention and those authorized to conduct necessary government transaction, including health personnel, responders and police and military personnel who are involved in the management of Covid-19.
Under the executive order, those providing utility services for power, telecommunications, water and courier services are also allowed to enter the province.
Likewise, those delivering food supplies, poultry and livestock products and supplies, agricultural inputs, medicines, petroleum products are allowed entry provided that they shall strictly observe protocols prescribed by the Department of Health and the interagency task force on Covid-19.
Those company personnel providing courier services; and, armored vehicles of banks and money transfer establishments delivering monies to their local branches will also be allowed.
Noveras also imposed guidelines for local farming and fishing activities.
“Those local residents who are engaged in food production such as farmers and fishermen shall be allowed to continue to undertake farming and fishing activities to ensure food security in the province, provided that, they shall undergo the same protocols being implemented at the monitoring stations,” the EO said.
Meanwhile, the municipal local government units through their municipal agriculture offices are advised to issue permits or certifications to individual local farmers and fishermen granting them access to their source of livelihood.
The LGUs are also advised to provide vegetable seeds and other agricultural inputs to enable local residents to raise their own crops even at the backyard level.
As of 4 p.m. Saturday, there is no confirmed positive case of Covid-19 in the province after test results of two patients under investigation (PUIs) turned negative.
Records of the DOH-Aurora also showed that there are still 73 PUIs who are under home quarantine and 3,139 persons under monitoring (PUMs), of whom 115 have already completed home quarantine. (PNA)
