Mayor bars ships from China, HK and Macau from anywhere near his city in Negros

BACOLOD CITY—Ships from China, Hong Kong and Macau are already banned from anchoring, berthing or docking at the San Carlos City Port in northern Negros Occidental.

San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo issued an executive order to bar the entry of vessels from China and its two territories and directing these to proceed to the ports of Cebu or Manila as the San Carlos port didn’t have quarantine facilities or qualified quarantine personnel.

“Under no circumstances must such vessels be allowed to lay, berth, dock or anchor in any part of the territorial waters of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental,” he said in his order.

The San Carlos port is among the five major ports in Negros Occidental.

An international cargo ship from the port of Ningde in China, with 21 crew members, including 15 Filipinos and six European sailors, arrived on Thursday (Feb. 6) and anchored between the San Carlos port and Sipaway Island.

Lt. Cmdr. Jansen Benjamin, chief of the Philippine Coast Guard in Negros Occidental, said the crew members of the cargo ship were not allowed to disembark.

Benjamin added that that the ship’s crew was directed to bring the vessel to Cebu.

The ship, which had no cargo, was supposedly to have a cold lay-up, or to park, at the port of San Carlos City pending further notice by the company that owned it.

Gustilo called on residents, especially fishermen, not to go near the cargo vessel.

Rayfrando Diaz, Negros Occidental provincial administrator, reported that a resident of La Carlota City, who had stayed for nine days in Hong Kong and recenty returned to the province, volunteered to be quarantined after suffering from sore throat and flu-like symptoms.

The patient will be placed in one of two isolation rooms at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.

Edited by TSB