ORMOC CITY – Following the COVID-19 Task Force meeting last June 14, 2021, Monday, City Mayor Richard I. Gomez once again signed an updated Executive Order in No. 179-A allowing for additional restrictions on the city’s borders and around the community to protect the city from the further increase of COVID-19 cases.
Accordingly, Executive Order (EO) No. 179-A series of 2021 was signed by Ormoc City Mayor Richard I. Gomez on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, and will be in effect up to June 30, 2021.
Furthermore, Ormoc is set to send a letter to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the Department of Health (DOH) asking for their help to fast-track the allocation and delivery of vaccines.
It was also learned from the said meeting that the city intends to install Internet connections at its borders intended for QR code scanning and uploading, as suggested by the task force for efficient contact-tracing.
The body also agreed to impose penalties on establishments that fail to scan the QR codes of customers entering their premises.
In addition, it was unanimously voted by the body, too, that all passengers entering Ormoc’s seaports and airports must submit or present a negative COVID-19 test result, taken from the place of origin and taken 72 hours prior to entry to Ormoc.
However, for those entering Ormoc through the Bagsakan Fishport, who are coming from and residents of areas without any laboratory that can perform the rapid antigen certified by a licensed medical professional or RT-PCR test, or a Red Cross Chapter that can provide the saliva test, they are only to present a health certificate valid for 72 hours prior to entry to Ormoc.
As for land border control, it was emphasized that only a QR code and thermal scanning are to be required for land trip passengers, and when required, a valid identification card to validate the identity of the holder of the Ormoc QR code.
The said EO also stated that no vehicle or person shall be allowed entry to Ormoc city from 10:00 P.M. to 5:00 A.M. except those coming from or going to work within the hours, upon presentation of certification of employment or any other document indicating hours of work and the employer, healthcare workers and other frontliners, in the occurrence of emergency cases, delivery of supplies or stocks, and those vehicles passing through Ormoc.
Meanwhile, as for seating or venue capacity, the said EO is clear that gatherings to be held in BPLO-licensed establishments or venues and religious gatherings in places of worship may be allowed provided but participants is limited to 30% of the existing seating or venue capacity.
Furthermore, private establishments with pool and water recreational activities are to ensure that pool or beach users are not to be more than 30% of their establishments’ venue capacity.
Accordingly, barangays near a seashore are to monitor their respective shorelines to ensure that all beachgoers maintain and strictly observe social distancing.
As for gatherings for wakes for those who died of causes other than COVID-19, per EO 179-A, will be allowed as long as the number of attendees do not exceed 30% of the existing venue capacity and will not be held for a period longer than five days, “provided further that the family of the deceased whose wake is held in a residence must provide the City Health Office with the names and contact details of all persons in attendance during the wake”.
In addition, during the funeral rites, adult and immediate members of the family, and the spouse, of the deceased, in no case more than 50 people, should only be the immediate members of the family who are related by one degree by consanguinity to the deceased, officiating personnel who performs the blessing, and personnel whose presence is necessary for the burial.
The EO also states that “a representative of the family of the deceased is directed to inform the barangay of the cemetery where the funeral is to be had and of the date of the burial at least 24 hours prior thereto; and that the barangay is to coordinate with the Philippine National Police regarding schedules of burial.
Finally, as agreed at the said COVID-19 TF meeting, “the movement of fully vaccinated senior citizens shall be allowed, subject to the presentation of a duly issued COVID-19 vaccination card”. By Gwen Maurillo