Cotabato City put under ‘community quarantine’ amid COVID-19

COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao, Philippines – Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has placed the city under “community quarantine” starting Monday, March 16, as part of precautionary measures against coronavirus (COVID-19).

“The city remained COVID-19 free,” Sayadi said.

But she quickly added that the local government deemed it necessary to impose strict precautions considering that people from its nearby towns freely go in and out of here daily.

She said the city would restrict people’s movements in the wake of a recent death in a nearby province aside from the nationwide death toll.

“We do not want this virus to enter our city and affect our citizens; that is why we are doing all we can to assure their safety,” she said.

Sayadi said the people coming into the city would have to undergo profiling by the city police. They will be given forms they have to fill up, which will be given to the authorities at the checkpoints.

City residents with identification cards are exempted from filling up profile forms while outsiders with businesses in the city or those who are working there must present IDs or business permits to be allowed entry.

She said the delivery of goods and other commodities would not be stopped but would still be subjected to profiling at the checkpoints.

“These are just the initial measures. As time passes by and we will need stricter regulations, we will inform the public the soonest possible time,” the mayor added.

She said work will not be suspended, but government and private institutions would be encouraged to implement flexible working hours to lessen the flow of traffic at the checkpoints.

But she directed schools to suspend classes beginning March 16.

Sayadi discouraged from coming here those who did not have urgent businesses in Cotabato City to limit the movements and the interactions of people.

A medical team will also be on standby at the checkpoints to do the necessary procedures once a person who enters the city has a high body temperature.

The city hosts the Cotabato Regional Medical Center, the referral health facility for COVID-19 patients in Region 12 and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

/atm