Iloilo City on hard lockdown from August 3-8 as case swells in nearby cities

FILE PHOTO: Nonessential stores and other establishments are again closed in Iloilo City after it was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. —IAN PAUL CORDERO/CONTRIBUTOR

ILOILO CITY — This city will be under hard lockdown from August 3 to 8 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in neighboring Visayas cities.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the lockdown is for the protection of Ilonggos with COVID-19 surges in Cebu and Aklan attributed to the more infectious Delta variant of the new coronavirus.

“Aklan and Cebu are both experiencing a surge. Their hospitals are full of patients already being confined outside the facility. We don’t want the same scenario in Iloilo City,” Treñas said in a statement.

Under the lockdown, non-essential establishments or those not related to food and medical services will be closed. The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages will also be imposed.

Travel of all persons to Iloilo City will be suspended from August 4 to 8.

The city has been under enhanced community quarantine since July 16.

Since Monday, only fully vaccinated persons have been allowed to enter the City Hall.

“We have been trying our best to balance the economy and health, but the Delta variant has proven to be very infectious and airborne that one person can infect eight people,” Treñas said.

We are hoping for the understanding of everyone as we protect our people, especially those who have not yet been vaccinated.

As of July 28, more than 84,000 or 16 percent of the target population of the city have been fully vaccinated.