PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—Zamboanga del Sur has reverted to banning liquor, imposing a curfew, and closing down beaches and resorts amid the rising COVID-19 cases and the first reported Delta variant patient in the province.
Gov. Victor Yu issued Monday Executive Order 2021-24 extending the general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions in Zamboanga del Sur from Aug. 17 to 30.
Since Tuesday, the province implemented the liquor ban from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and temporarily closed down beaches and resorts. Curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. for towns and 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. for this capital city also took effect in the province.
The local IATF said the new guidelines make sense as gatherings could become potential COVID-19 ‘spreaders,’ what with the rising COVID-19 cases and the entry of Delta variant in the province.
The local IATF said a 22-year old resident who just returned from overseas work in Malaysia had been confirmed to be the first case of Delta variant to have entered the province.
His RT-PCR test in Malaysia yielded negative results, which allowed him to travel to Manila, but upon arrival in Manila on July 22, he was swabbed again and tested positive for COVID-19. He completed his 14-day quarantine, recovered, and was given clearance for travel to Pagadian City.
But on Sunday, Aug. 16, the results from the Philippine Genome Center confirmed that he was infected with the Delta variant.
The IATF said the recovered patient had been swabbed again, and his close contacts traced and tested.
The IATF clarified that workers, cargo vehicles, public transportation, and other essential establishments are exempted from the curfew in the province.
Under the governor’s new order, food outlets are allowed up to 20 percent capacity for indoor dine-in and up to 50 percent capacity for outdoor dine-in.
Personal care services like beauty salons, barbershops, beauty parlors, and nail spas are allowed up to 30 percent capacity.
Religious gatherings are allowed up to 30 percent capacity of their venues.
Not allowed are entertainment venues including bars, clubs, videoke, and karaoke establishments; internet cafes, billiard halls, and arcades; amusement parks and kid amusement industries; casino, cockfighting, and lotteries not approved by the IATF; indoor sports venues, fitness studios, gyms; massage therapy, and tattooing services; venues for meetings, conferences, and exhibitions, including libraries, museums, galleries, and cultural exhibits.