Tough COVID-19 lockdown in 12 Cebu City villages: All access blocked, no one allowed outside

CEBU CITY—At least 12 villages are likely to see borders closed, policemen and soldiers blocking access and people being kept in their homes by law enforcers in measures that are taking shape to contain coronavirus transmission.

Rey Gealon, City Hall spokesperson, said the city government and the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases are studying the possibility of closing off these villages:

• Sambag II
• Kamputhaw
• Sambag I
• Basak San Nicolas
• Mabolo
• Guadalupe
• Lahug
• Duljo Fatima
• Tinago
• Tisa
• Ermita
• Tejero

Gealon said more policemen and soldiers would be deployed to the villages to enforce stay-at-home orders.

But he said there was also a likelihood of only two villages—Sambag II and Kamputhaw—being on total lockdown.

The other 10 villages, he said, would be on what he called was segmental lockdown, which meant only communities with high numbers of COVID-19 cases would be shut down.

No explanation, however, was given why the village of Mambaling, which has 600 cases and considered virus epicenter in the city, was not on the list of places that would be locked down.

Gealon sought to calm down families who would be virtually imprisoned in their homes by assuring them of the city government’s help.

“We will provide food, water, and vitamins to villages and sitios that will be shut down,” he said.

TSB