Zambales village on lockdown as DepEd workers infect kin

SAN ANTONIO, ZAMBALES—A village in Botolan town was placed under a 12-day lockdown starting Wednesday after health officials detected a cluster of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases among employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) and their families there.

The outbreak in Barangay Batonlapoc, which used to be virus-free, was traced to five DepEd employees and caused a local transmission, Mayor Doris Maniquiz said in a statement on Tuesday.

As of Wednesday, the DepEd employees, who contracted the virus after attending a seminar early this month, infected 16 villagers who are mostly their relatives.

The 21 COVID-19 cases in the village broke its virus-free status since the pandemic began last year.

Maniquiz said those who needed to seek medical attention would be allowed to leave the village.

She said the local government would bring food packs to 443 families now stuck in their homes.

The five infected DepEd employees were among the 300 participants of two seminars organized by the association of school principals in the province this month.

Border control

Forty-four other DepEd employees had contracted the virus, which also infected seven workers of a resort where one of the seminars was held.

The source of the infection during the seminars, held from March 1 to 6 and March 9 to 12, was the events’ guest speaker, according to Dr. Noel Bueno, provincial health director.

Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. on Tuesday ordered all village officials in the province to tighten their border control points until April 5 and record any new person in their barangay as precaution against local transmission.

He also instructed the officials to start a census “to ensure that only residents can enter their villages.”

Ebdane, who announced in a Facebook post on Monday that he contracted the virus, also imposed a longer provincewide curfew from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. Only those who have essential activities would be exempted from the curfew, he said.

Establishments and businesses were allowed to operate only until 8 p.m. daily.

The governor also prohibited the selling, transport and consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places during the curfew.

Minimum public health standards that include proper use of masks and limited nonessential social gatherings and assemblies would also be strictly implemented.

As of Tuesday, Zambales recorded a total of 1,117 COVID-19 cases, with 145 classified as active.