COVID-19: Naga enforces pre-emptive community quarantine

Naga City in Camarines Sur (Image from Google Maps)

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines — The City Council of Naga in Camarines Sur approved Saturday an ordinance enabling its mayor to declare a community quarantine despite the absence of a confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case.

Under the pre-emptive community quarantine, new directives, including an eight-hour general curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., will be imposed starting Sunday, March 15.

Night shift workers, like those in call centers, are not included in the curfew, said Allen Reondanga, chief of the City Events, Protocol, and Public Information Office (CEPPIO).

“Companies need to amend working hours to conform with the curfew hours,” Reondanga added.

He said that the general curfew might only last for a month — unless extended.

Those who violate the curfew for the first time will be reprimanded. The second offense would mean a P3,000 fine and the third and subsequent offenses are worth P5,000.

Events with 50 or more participants are prohibited.

However, for events with less than 50 participants, organizers are required to explain the “risks involved in attending the event and the measures that may be undertaken to ensure their safety,” according to the memorandum signed by Mayor Nelson Legacion.

Organizers must also ensure the following:

• social distancing
• no self-service in buffets and no sharing of food and drinks
• provision of hand sanitizers in prominent locations
• no entry for ill people or those with high-risk medical conditions
• submission of a list of attendees with their addresses and contact information to the city health office

Legacion also canceled all classes at all levels in the city, both public and private,  starting Monday.

“During the period of suspension, all students and educators are enjoined to stay home,” Legacion said.

On Thursday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he will place Metro Manila under “community quarantine,” causing residents from Bicol who are working in the metro to flock to bus terminals to go home.

Legacion said that those who have returned to Naga will be required to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine to contain the possible spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.

The mayor has previously said that those who will defy the order to self-quarantine will be arrested and filed charges.

As of this writing, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bicol.

/atm