San Fernando City in La Union reverts to stricter quarantine

SAN FERNANDO CITY – This city was placed on a stricter quarantine for two weeks after its active COVID-19 cases rose to 356 early this week.

Mayor Herminigildo Gualberto issued an executive order Wednesday, July 8, imposing a general community quarantine (GCQ) on the city from 12 a.m. of July 9 to 11:59 p.m. of July 22. GCQ is the third most restrictive quarantine classification among the government’s curbs.

The city was previously placed on a modified general community quarantine, the least form of quarantine in the country.

Gualberto said the declaration was to limit the movement of people and contain the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. The city health office recommended it to the local inter-agency task force.

Of the 59 city barangays, 41 have active cases, 17 of which were considered high risk.

Earlier, Gualberto also placed some parts of Barangay Catbangen, which has 48 active cases, on a granular lockdown from July 6 to July 20.

Under the current guidelines, tourists may enter the city but have to present a negative result of real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test taken not more than 72 hours before their entry. They also need to register at the online platforms www.tarana.ph and NAPANAM, and present a valid identification card.

Overseas Filipino workers, regardless of their purpose, are allowed to enter as long as they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a certification from the Bureau of Quarantine that they have completed a seven-day quarantine, officials said.

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