5 Puerto Princesa villages placed under ECQ

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY –– Five villages in this city were placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest form of lockdown imposed by the government, due to an “alarming” increase of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in these areas.

Wilhelm M. Suyko, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and chairman of the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) inter-agency task force (IATF) for emerging infectious disease, approved the ECQ in Sta. Monica, San Jose, San Manuel, San Pedro, and San Miguel starting Friday, April 16, until April 30.

The regional IAFT was acting on the recommendation of Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron to place the five villages under ECQ after he declared these areas as “critical zones” due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

As ECQ areas, movement of residents in these villages have been restricted, except for those who need to leave for medical emergencies or purchase essential food and medical items, workers of establishments allowed to open, and employees of offices outside the locked area, provided they have quarantine pass.

Prohibited activities inside critical zones included meetings and gatherings (except those intended for health services, government services, and humanitarian activities authorized by the government); attending funeral activities (except for immediate family); visiting residents in other critical zones; in-person classes; and all leisure and sports activities, including jogging and walking.

The establishments that may open in full on-site capacity in these areas are hospitals, health emergency, and frontline centers, agriculture industries, logistics service providers, essential and priority construction projects, manufacturers of essential goods, manufacturers/distributors suppliers of construction and maintenance works.

Also allowed to stay open are essential retail trade and service such as public market, supermarket, grocery stores, convenient stores, pharmacies, hardware, office supplies, bicycle shops, laundry shops, water refilling stations, food preparation industries (but limited to take out and delivery), and public transport providers and operators.

Establishments that may open on 50-percent capacity are media establishments. Skeleton workforce allowed on-site include dental, rehabilitation, optometry and other medical clinics for the treatment of illness or injuries; veterinary clinics; banks, money transfer and pawnshops; water supply and janitorial services and facilities, energy sector, including gasoline stations; telecommunications companies; funeral and embalming services; security personnel licensed by the Philippine National Police; printing establishments authorized by Bureau of Internal Revenue; repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment vehicles; leasing of real and personal properties; recruitment and placement for permitted sectors; teachers professors and other staff for purposes of conducting online/offline classes, processing of student credentials, requirements and documents; lawyers providing legal services; establishments buying and selling consumer goods or services via the internet; government offices and agencies; courts; and hotels and accommodations with valid Department of Tourism accreditation.

As of Friday morning, Puerto Princesa logged 50 active cases, from a total of 292 confirmed COVID-19 patients, with 234 recoveries and eight deaths. INQ

LZB