Belmonte: QC to have 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. ‘public safety hours’ starting March 16

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered “public safety hours” across Quezon City starting Monday, March 16, due to public health risks from COVID-19.

Belmonte, in issuing Executive Order No. 20, has prohibited hanging around and roaming in the city’s public places, including streets, highways, and sidewalks from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

“Under Executive Order No. 20, I have mandated the implementation of public safety hours within Quezon City due to COVID-19. The City Council is also about to pass a similar Ordinance,” she said in a statement.

“During the public safety hours, all persons within the territorial jurisdiction of Quezon City are prohibited to roam around, loiter, wander, stay or meander in all public places, whether singly or in groups,” she also explained.

Belmonte enumerated common areas like churches, buildings, office sites, hospitals, schools, malls, shopping centers, commercial establishments, movie theaters, and other establishments, as “public places.”

However, she also clarified that people going to and from their workplaces would be exempted, including other people with pressing concerns.

“Those in immediate need of medical attention or emergency medicines and health workers and personnel in the actual performance of their duties are not covered by the ban,” Belmonte said.  “Government officials and employees performing essential or emergency official functions and those attending and experiencing emergency situations that require immediate action to prevent serious bodily injury or loss of life are also exempted.”

“Those directly proceeding to or returning from the airport or pier, as shown by their paper or electronic tickets; drivers and conductors operating their public utility vehicles; and other lawful purposes or justifiable reasons that the City Mayor may determine from time to time are also not covered by the directive,” she added.

Violators of the curfew, Belmonte noted, may be charged for breaching Section 9 (e) of Republic Act No. 11332, “which penalizes non-cooperation of person or entities affected by a health event of public concern”, and Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code (Resistance and Disobedience to a Person In Authority).

As of Sunday afternoon, several Metro Manila cities like Manila and Makati have similarly put in place a curfew over their respective jurisdictions beginning March 16 as President Rodrigo Duterte directed a “community quarantine” of the entire National Capital Region due to COVID-19.

To date, the Philippines has confirmed 140 people with COVID-19, including 11 deaths.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which outbreak started in China’s Wuhan City in Hube province in late 2019.

People who have COVID-19 could recover since for most people, its symptoms were mild like fever and cough. But the illness could also be worse or serious for others such as pneumonia, especially for older adults and those with existing health problems.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic since it has infected more than 150,000 people and killed nearly 6,000 all over the world.

KGA

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