HEALTH AND SECURITY MEASURE In this photo taken on Sept. 6, the streets of Bacolod City are empty as border control checkpoints are set up as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. —PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE OF BACOLOD CITY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
For three weeks starting Sept. 8, Bacolod City in Negros Occidental and Lanao del Sur will be under stricter quarantine measures after President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday approved the recommendation of the national task force overseeing government efforts to stop the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to put Bacolod and Lanao del Sur under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status was presented by National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 chief implementer, Carlito Galvez Jr., to the President.
Roque, quoting IATF Resolution No. 69, also said inbound travel of stranded residents to Western Visayas, Iligan City and Lanao del Sur were suspended on the request of local officials. The moratorium is effective from Sept. 7 to Sept. 21.
Mr. Duterte, in an earlier order, also placed Iligan in Lanao del Norte under MECQ for September.
Critical locations
Galvez said officials in Bacolod and Lanao proposed a stricter community quarantine due to a continuous increase in COVID-19 cases in their areas. He noted the need to upgrade the quarantine status in Lanao del Sur, as it is adjacent to Iligan, where MECQ was imposed starting Sept. 1.
Iligan and Lanao del Sur were immediately placed under MECQ because these are “critical locations,” he said.
“Once we are unable to control the spread of COVID-19 in Iligan City, [the virus] can spread to Lanao del Norte, Ozamiz City, and even Cagayan de Oro City. These areas need to be protected because they are our economic hubs, like Cagayan de Oro City,” Galvez said.
But cases in Bacolod, he said, were “much higher” than those in Iligan.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Bacolod’s new cases increased by 462 in just four days, or an average of 135 each day.
The Department of Health’s COVID-19 tracker showed that as of Monday, Bacolod had 2,224 cases, of which 1,255 were active with 939 recoveries. Forty-four new cases were recorded on Monday.
Lanao del Sur recorded 381 cases, with 143 considered as active and 227 recoveries. Only seven cases were recorded in the province on Monday.
“The critical [health] care capacity in Bacolod City is really getting critical,” Galvez said, adding that task force officials would go to Bacolod to “complete interventions and fast-track” efforts to stop the further spread of COVID-19.
Caught by surprise
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and members of his team, who succeeded in stopping the spread of infection in Cebu City, would also join Galvez’s group to share their experience in handling the pandemic.
But many Bacolod residents, including local officials, were caught by surprise and were unprepared by the decision of the national task force to place the city under MECQ.
“We slept last night thinking of ways to improve our businesses. We woke up with our businesses slipping away from us,” said Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Carbon said there was no discussion on placing the whole city under MECQ and added that the city’s economy would be significantly affected.
Confused
“Everybody is confused. Ninety percent of employees and customers of businesses rely on public transport. With no public transport, businesses will ground to a halt even if some are allowed to operate,” he said.
In a video statement on Monday, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he was expecting the matter to be discussed in a meeting with NTF officials on Wednesday.
“However, because the resolution has been issued, the only thing to do now is to implement it,” Leonardia said.
“The inconvenience and adjustments will only be temporary. What is important is that we lessen COVID-19 in Bacolod City. Let us abide by all regulations because this is for our welfare,” he said.
Several residents lamented the lack of notice, saying they had not prepared for a three-week lockdown.
“I understand the need to contain the disease but if those who are better off are affected, those who are already struggling in life suffer worst,” a retiree told the Inquirer.
—Reports from Julie Aurelio, Jeannette Andrade, Nestor Burgos Jr. and Carla Gomez