COVID-19: Occidental Mindoro now under community quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — The provincial government has placed Occidental Mindoro under community quarantine as risks posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 persist in the country.

In an interview with INQUIRER.net on Monday, Occidental Mindoro Governor Eduardo Gadiano said that while there are no confirmed cases of the disease in their province yet, there are persons that are under investigation for possible infection of COVID-15.

Under Executive Order No. 55, which took effect Monday, March 16, entry into the province through any of its points would be restricted.

“Only persons with legitimate purposes of entry like medical practitioners returning for work, DOH (Department of Health), military personnel and those with special assignments from competent authorities relative to COVID-19 Control and Management and those that would be granted special permissions through humanitarian considerations would be allowed to enter provided they would subject themselves to protocols being imposed and could provide proper documents to support their valid claims,” the order states.

Coastal areas in the province shall also be monitored by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Meanwhile, those who traveled outside Occidental Mindoro are directed to observe mandatory home quarantine for 14 days upon their return.

“Transients are not exempted from the mandatory 14-day home quarantine period particularly those billeted in a hotel or dormitory in the same manner as the barangay residents who traveled outside the province,” the order states.

Several activities have also been suspended. These includes:

• Flag raising ceremony/flag retreat
• Visitation to all prison establishments/detention centers
• Conduct of social activities inside jail premises
• Visits and watching hospital patients by two or more relatives
• Events that entail mass gatherings such as cockfighting, barangay meetings and assemblies, festivals, fiesta celebrations, seminars, workshops and conferences except those directly related to health, security, peace and order, and prevention of COVID-19

As of Sunday evening, DOH has reported 140 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with the death toll at 12.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.

The virus causes mild symptoms such as fever and cough for most people but can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people 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 over 6,000 all over the world.