Caraga to refuse entry to anyone amid quarantine, says Surigao Sur gov

MANILA, Philippines –– After recording its first COVID-19 case, Caraga is implementing stricter measures and will not allow anyone to enter the region for now as an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is in place.

If the Inter-Agency Task Force and the national government allows citizens to travel to Caraga, the region would keep its borders temporarily closed, Surigao Del Sur Governor Alexander Pimentel said in a Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.

Although Pimentel noted that he could not give a decision right away, he stressed that he and the other governors agreed that Caraga would be put under “total lockdown.”

Strict travel restrictions are being implemented on Caraga’s borders as Northeastern Mindanao was placed on ECQ since April 6 through Resolution No. 7, series of 2020, or “One Caraga Shield,” approved by the Caraga Regional Task Force.

“We started having problems when the COVID-19 positive man from Manila arrived. So for now, we are not allowing anyone to enter Caraga and its provinces,” Pimentel said.

“For now, I’m very sorry but the citizens have agreed to the decision not to allow entry to the region, so what we are doing is supporting those who cannot enter Caraga,” Pimentel said.

The governor also asked the national government for additional support as Caraga is sending aid to those stranded at Caraga’s borders and students in Marawi City and other provinces, who could not return to their homes in the region amid the lockdown.

Caraga’s first COVID-19 patient is a 68-year-old male from Manila, who flew to Butuan City on March 12. He was initially tagged as a person under monitoring and developed symptoms during the mandatory home quarantine period.

The patient tested positive for COVID-19 on April 6 and has since been taken to the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City, according to the Department of Health. He was in stable condition.

LZB