Oriental Mindoro gov orders stricter watch of ports to bar COVID-19 entry

CITY OF CALAPAN –– Noting that Oriental Mindoro is now surrounded by areas with positive coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, Oriental Mindoro governor Humerlito Dolor ordered stricter monitoring of the ports in the province, especially those in Calapan, Roxas, and Bulalacao.

In a meeting on Thursday with shipping companies and concerned agencies, he noted that there were already three COVID-19 positive cases on Panay Island in the south, which means that the province’s borders are now surrounded by areas with confirmed COVID-19 cases.

In the north of Oriental Mindoro are Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, and Manila, while at the right is Marinduque.

Dolor’s update through his Facebook page on Thursday night said that there was an increase of six persons under investigation in the province, from 67 on Wednesday to 73.

There was also an increase in the total number of persons under monitoring from 12,318 in February to 12,651 on Thursday (March 26).

“Once again I remind everyone that we can follow home quarantine, physical distancing, liquor ban, and the wearing of face mask, or anything like this, whenever we go out of the house. It is in the hands of everyone to prevent and solve the prevalence of COVID-19,” Dolor said.

Oriental Mindoro was placed under voluntary community quarantine on March 15 to prevent the entry of COVID-19 by putting in place travel bans and restrictions against outsiders.

LZB