ILOILO City – Starting today until Aug. 8, this southern city will be under a “hard” lockdown aimed at arresting the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Heightened measures are much needed for hospitals here to prepare for a surge in coronavirus cases, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“Aklan and Cebu are both experiencing a surge; their hospitals are full of patients already being confined outside healthcare facilities,” said Treñas. “We don’t want the same scenario in Iloilo City.”
On top of the city’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status, Treñas yesterday issued Executive Order (EO) No. 70-2021 implementing the heightened restrictions.
“Experiencing another surge in confirmed cases, the Iloilo City COVID team recommends the necessity to impose border restrictions anent to this unfortunate occurrence in order to heighten our vigilance in human travels as identified cause with a high probability of transmission in conjunction with the declaration of placing Iloilo City under ECQ,” part of the EO read.
On the other hand, Treñas also admitted that he doesn’t really know how prepared the city is as the threat of the Delta variant looms.
He noted that the city has doctors deployed in quarantine facilities and is readying 40 oxygen tanks so no queuing will happen just like in Cebu.
“How prepared we are, I really do not know. Ang hospitals gin-meet ta naman. Ang DOH (Department of Health) gapasalig nga may kwarta kuno sugod September but it’s August now, waay ko kabalo ano ang sitwasyon. But I think what you should understand ga-istoryahanay kami ni (Iloilo) Gov. (Arthur) Defensor (Jr.)… We will try to do everything so that we will be prepared for our constituents,” said Treñas.
Data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit showed Iloilo City had a total of 2,550 coronavirus cases from July 1 to 29, 2021, averaging 88 cases daily.
Treñas noted that positive cases are often recorded with those who have travel history or those who have recently returned from non-essential travels or purposely for leisure outside the city.
Treñas further cited that detection of an individual infected with the Delta variant in Mandurriao district here.
BORDER CONTROL
Travel of persons within Panay Island to the city of Iloilo by way of land, sea and air travel shall be temporarily prohibited until Aug. 8, 2021 except for work; medical needs, accessing government services, transport of goods and/or construction materials, humanitarian purposes; receiving first/second dose of COVID-19 vaccine; returning overseas Filipino workers, returning residents and authorized persons outside of residence; and residents of the provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras.
Necessary proofs and relevant documents required of travelers, among other screening and verification methods in limiting essential travel, must be presented at the border control points.
CURFEW
Curfew hours here will be from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. for the period covered by the ECQ, except those whose work in business process outsourcing/knowledge process outsourcing (BPOs/KPOs), warehouses and logistics (and similar businesses) ports, arrastre, food manufacturing, storage and preservation, hospitals, media, and other similar businesses or occupations that require employees to go to work after curfew hours.
TOTAL LIQUOR BAN
The consumption in public and/or sale of any form of liquor or alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
Establishments, convenience stores, groceries, sari-sari stores, and other similar businesses that will violate the liquor ban will face appropriate penalties provided under the Iloilo City Tax Code.
All persons who are found to have violated the protocols shall face the appropriate administrative and / or criminal charges.
In cases of barangay lockdowns, the sale and consumption of liquor shall likewise be prohibited absolutely in areas covered by any barangay lockdown order.
VULNERABLE SECTORS
All vulnerable sectors are required to remain in their residences at all times, except when highly indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services from permitted establishments or for work in permitted industries and offices; other essentials; to seek medical or clinical care; or go to the hospital; or to seek medical consultation.
These vulnerable sectors include persons more than 65 years of age and below 18 years of age; pregnant women; persons with comorbidities, immune-deficiencies and other risk factors; and persons with disabilities.
The elderly and minors are also not allowed to enter malls and shopping centers except when highly indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services or for work in establishments.
WORK
All department heads/heads of offices of the Iloilo City Government are directed to adopt work arrangements that entail only a skeletal workforce insofar as practicable.
However, the Iloilo City Bids and Awards Committee, Iloilo City Business Permit and Licensing Office, Iloilo City Accountant’s Office, Iloilo City Treasurer’s Office, Iloilo City Budget Office, City Engineer’s Office and the Iloilo City General Services Office may be allowed to operate at a maximum of 30 percent on-site capacity.
Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Health Office (CHO), Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Iloilo City Public Safety and Transportation Management (PSTMO) may operate at full capacity.
Agencies and instrumentalities of the government are enjoined to operate with a skeleton workforce on-site, and adopt alternative work arrangements unless a greater on-site capacity is required in agencies providing health and emergency frontline services, laboratory and testing services, border control, or other critical services.
Across all settings all public and private offices operating in Iloilo city and other permitted establishments are encouraged to observe a skeletal workforce on-site insofar as practicable. Work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements are still highly encouraged.
TRAVEL
Beginning 12 a.m. of Aug. 4, 2021 until 11:59 p.m. of Aug. 8, 2021, all inbound travel from areas not in Region 6 shall be temporarily suspended except for returning overseas Filipino workers (ROFs).
But ROFs must observe necessary protocols.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The road, maritime (except those with the approved travel moratorium from and to specified destinations), and aviation sectors of public transportation shall be allowed to operate at such capacity and protocols in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation.
For this purpose, the use of active transportation such as biking is highly encouraged while biking purely for leisure is temporarily prohibited.
Public utility vehicles such as public utility jeepneys and other motor vehicles offering service to the public within Iloilo City can operate at full capacity, but shall only be allowed to carry up to 50 percent of their maximum passenger capacity, or at one seat apart.
The movement of cargo/delivery vehicles, as well as vehicles used by public utility companies, shall be unhampered.
Shuttle services of permitted establishments shall not be subject to an ID system but shall maintain compliance with minimum public health standards with the drivers wearing face masks all the time and with transparent anti-COVID-19 dividers from the passengers. Companies with shuttle services must maintain a log book to easily track the passengers/employees.
ALLOWED INDUSTRIES, ACTIVITIES
Only the following establishments here are allowed to operate during the implementation of the hard lockdown. All other establishments not included in the list are prohibited from operating.
* with full on-site capacity – Public and private hospitals, health, emergency and frontline services; manufacturers of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices and equipments; industries involved in agriculture; logistics service providers; essential and priority construction projects, whether public or private, and small-scale construction projects; public and private financial service providers involved in the distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies; public transport providers and operators;
* maximum of 50 percent on-site capacity – manufacturing related to food and other essential goods; companies that manufacture, distribute and/or supply equipment or products necessary to perform construction or maintenance works; essential retail trade and service establishments limited to public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies or drug stores, hardware, office supplies, laundry shops, and water-refilling stations only; food preparation establishments; media establishments and their total permanent staff complement, inclusive of reporters and other field employees.
* maximum of 30 percent on-site capacity – BPOs but is however strongly advised that the same may adopt alternative work arrangements such as work-from-home set up to allow as little on-site workforce as practicable;
* skeletal workforce – dental, rehabilitation, optometry and other medical clinics for the treatment of illness or injuries; veterinary clinics; banks, money transfer services, including pawnshops only insofar as performing money transfer functions, microfinance institutions, and credit cooperatives, including their armored vehicle services, if any Capital markets; water supply and janitorial/sanitation services and facilities, including waste disposal services, as well as property management and building utility services; energy sector; telecommunications companies, Internet service providers, cable television providers, including those who perform indirect services; airline and aircraft maintenance, pilots and crew, and employees of aviation schools and ship captains and crew; funeral and embalming services; security personnel licensed by the Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies; printing establishments authorized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other government agencies to print accountable forms and other security documents; establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment, for households and essential permitted establishments; establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of motorized and non-motorized vehicles, including the sale of spare parts; leasing of real and personal properties; employment activities that involve the recruitment and placement for permitted sectors; teachers, professors and other staff; lawyers who will provide legal representation as well as legal services for permitted establishments, and law firms; all other establishments, to the extent necessary for the buying and selling of consumer goods or services via the internet; payroll managers, and such other employees required for the processing of payroll, and accounting firms; appliance stores with their ancillary delivery services and cyber zones selling electronic gadgets.
ESTABLISHMENTS’ COMPLIANCE
Business establishments allowed to operate shall strictly implement the required public health standards prescribed under various government issuances.
MASS GATHERINGS
Mass gatherings of any kind are prohibited as well as gatherings at residences with any person outside of one’s immediate household.
Marriages and baptisms shall temporarily be suspended.
Gatherings for wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 may be allowed but only limited to immediate family members (up to the first degree).
Funeral/burial services are likewise allowed provided that only immediate (up to the first degree only) family members and a religious minister with an assistant are allowed to attend and shall in no case exceed 20 persons.
The religious denominations and/or memorial park management responsible for the same are advised to require appropriate documents to show proof of filiation.
However, gatherings that are essential for the provision of health services, government services, or humanitarian activities authorized by the appropriate government agency or instrumentality shall be allowed.
Meanwhile, the Iloilo Esplanades, playgrounds and courts located in public plazas shall be closed to the public on the said period.
VACCINATION ROLL-OUT
Vaccination roll-out at the identified vaccination sites shall remain unhampered.
No walk-ins for pre-registration at the sites will be imposed.
Only those with vaccination tickets shall be accommodated.
HOTEL AND ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS
Authorized hotels or accommodation establishments shall be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity.
Swimming pools and other similar swimming amenities of resorts, hotels, accommodation establishments and condominiums shall be closed to the public.
EDUCATION
Conduct of limited face-to-face or in-person classes in higher education institutions and face-to-face technical vocational education training and other competency assessments are temporarily suspended./PN