Parks shut, visitors barred as Albay capital fights virus

MAYON WATCHING This area on Legazpi City Boulevard where joggers, bikers and tourists gather for one of the best views of Mayon Volcano is among the areas that will be closed to the public for two weeks as the Albay provincial capital tries to contain the spread of COVID-19. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines — The task force managing the local response to the pandemic has closed public and private amusement parks, playgrounds and entertainment venues in this capital city of Albay province on Wednesday to contain the rising COVID-19 cases.

Mayor Noel Rosal, chair of the Legazpi City Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) chair, heeded the recommendation from the Department of Health (DOH) and imposed a tighter restriction on the movement of residents and visitors as a health measure to prevent the spread of the virus.

The DOH said Legazpi had recorded 55 active cases from March 28 to April 12, or an average of three cases a day.

The restrictions would take effect for 15 days, or until April 29.As of April 13, Legazpi City had recorded 567 COVID-19 cases while the province of Albay had logged a total of 702.

Closures

The city closed the Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi Boulevard, Sawangan Park, Ligñon Hill Nature Park, Pinaric View Deck and Estanza Hills to keep the public from gathering there.

Owners of videoke and karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, cinemas, internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades and bowling alleys were also told to suspend their operations.

Outdoor and indoor sports and leisure facilities and swimming pools are also not allowed to operate.

Also stopped were cockfighting and operation of cockpits, betting shops and other gaming establishments as well as venues for meetings, conferences, training and exhibitions.

Restaurants, eateries, barber shops and beauty parlors may operate at 50-percent capacity.

Only hotels with valid Department of Tourism accreditation are allowed to accommodate guests but at half their capacity.

Checkpoints

Earlier, Rosal asked city residents not to accept visitors in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

He issued a directive to barangay officials to again establish checkpoints in all villages to prevent the entry of nonresidents, except of people bringing in essential commodities.

The city police and the public safety office would establish checkpoints to ensure the strict implementation of the guidelines. Curfew hours will be observed from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.

He warned that the rising cases in the city would prompt the DOH in Bicol region to classify Legazpi as a high-risk area for COVID-19, which could lead to raising its status to general community quarantine from the current modified general community quarantine status, the lowest quarantine classification.

People from other cities and towns within Bicol will be allowed to enter Legazpi if they are working in local establishments, buying essential goods and services, and for emergency purposes but they should present a travel order and company identification card. —MAR S. ARGUELLES