TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city has imposed stricter border control after Leyte province reported its first new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case involving a 58-year-old woman from the town of Burauen, about 45 kilometers away from Tacloban, the regional center of Eastern Visayas.
“Today, we will be more strict here in the borders of the city. There will be random checkpoints. Please stay home,” Romualdez said on Saturday.
Checkpoints in the city are manned by the police and personnel of the city government. Romualdez said he would ask the Philippine Army to help guard the city’s borders.
Noncity residents, particularly those with confirmed COVID-19 cases, would not be allowed to enter Tacloban City unless considered as among the front-liners or in need of medical assistance, food and other essential businesses.
Employees of the city government who live outside of Tacloban are also prohibited from entering the city.
—JOEY GABIETA