CITY OF CALAPAN, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines — Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor has requested private businesses to suspend the “no work, no pay policy” for employees showing symptoms of COVID-19 and are thus prohibited from reporting to work.
The request is part of 17-page Executive Order No. 16, which details measures that will be implemented from April 11 to 30 while the province is under a modified general community quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Dolor issued the order, which was written in Filipino, on Saturday, April 10.
According to Dolor, the order was the result of agreements reached after consultations with officials of local government units, national government agencies, the religious sector, and business establishments.
On March 29, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) placed Oriental Mindoro under modified general community quarantine until April 30.
EO No. 16 requires certain individuals to stay home — people aged below 15 and above 65, the pregnant, and those with immunodeficiency, co-morbidity and other health hazards.
All travelers going to Oriental Mindoro are required to undergo rapid antigen testing upon arrival at its ports.
There is also a uniform curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. that will be imposed on everyone except those who would fit the definition of essential travel.
The EO also imposes ban on liquor, cockfighting and contact sports and exercises.
Certain tourists are banned from entering the provinces. These are those from the National Capital Region Plus bubble — which is under the enhanced community quarantine status (declared Sunday to be under modified enhanced community quarantine begin April 12 until 30) and places with new COVID variants.
Only 50 percent capacity will be allowed in places for religious gatherings, hotels, and public transportation.
The police set up checkpoints in every boundary of each town while the Barangay Health Monitoring Response Team will be restrengthened.
The EO was issued after the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported that high transmission rates of COVID-19 had been discovered in the relative/family index, national government agencies, prisoners, and local government units.
The Provincial Health Office in Barangay Santa Isabel is the designated Provincial Health Command Center.
On April 10 , 8:13 p.m., the Provincial Health Office posted its April 9 bulletin reporting a total of 1,895 cases (1,774 local, 121 imported) since the pandemic begun last year. Of this figure, 287 are active cases (281 local, 6 imported), 1,564 are recoveries and 44 deaths.