BACOLOD CITY – At least 15 boat crew members and passengers were placed on a 14-day home quarantine after they allegedly violated travel restrictions for novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
Cauayan town Mayor John Rey Tabujara said all 15 individuals were apprehended by officers of the Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday (March 18) while they were on board a boat in waters off Barangay a village in the town of Negros Occidental province at 8 a.m.
The group, he said, came from Antique and was on its way home to Cauayan town. Negros Occidental had earlier closed its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Tabujara said his 15 constituents were allowed to return home to Cauayan but have to undergo home quarantine since they are now considered as persons under monitoring (PUMs), or those with no symptoms but could be susceptible to the disease.