Cebu City ships sound horns, firetrucks blare sirens to signal month-long lockdown

CEBU CITY –– At noon on Saturday, ships honked their horns while sirens of firetrucks blared to signal the start of the one-month border closure implemented by the Cebu City government.

City Mayor Edgar Labella appealed to the people to be patient and follow the protocols imposed by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“We need to be strict although I asked the police to observe maximum tolerance in dealing with people,” he said.

For one month, strict home quarantine would be implemented while public transportation is suspended.

A quarantine pass would be given to each household to allow one person to go out to buy necessities.

All establishments in the city would be closed except those that cater to essential needs, like hospitals, gasoline stations, banks, groceries, pharmacies, and water stations, among others.

On Saturday, the streets were empty as policemen banned the entry of vehicles and people to the Queen City of the South.

Col. Hector Grijaldo, director of the Cebu City Police Office, said people who couldn’t present identification cards would not be allowed to enter the city.

Grijaldo deployed policemen to man the 15 entry points of the city.

Patrol cars also roamed the streets to check if residents heeded the mandatory “stay at home” order of the city government.

“Please follow what authorities are asking you to do because we are doing this for your safety. We want the cooperation of people,” Grijaldo said.

The city government will issue one quarantine pass per household.

Labella said the passes, which are “absolutely not for sale,” would be coursed through the barangay officials and other authorized persons.

The city has four types of passes: the green pass for Cebu City residents; red for government employees and officials; blue for non-residents of Cebu City; and white for crisis management team members and other frontliners.

Edited by LZB