COVID-19 surge shuts down town hall, brings hard lockdown in Eastern Visayas towns

TACLOBAN CITY—A municipal hall in Southern Leyte was closed for two days while a town in Eastern Samar was again placed on hard lockdown because of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The municipal hall in Pintuyan town, Southern Leyte province suspended operations starting on Thursday (Jan. 14) after all employees were considered to have had contact with two employees who tested positive for SARS Cov2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to Mayor Rustico Estrella.

The town had no case of COVID-19 for a month until the two municipal hall employees tested positive on Jan. 13.

In Guiuan town, Eastern Samar, Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan placed the entire town on hard lockdown for 14 days starting Wednesday (Jan. 13) as it continued to experience a surge of COVID-19 cases.

The town has currently 60 COVID-19 cases, the highest in Eastern Samar, with four deaths.

Gonzales-Kwan said she has to place the town on hard lockdown “to control and monitor the movements of our people” to stop virus transmission.

“We are still on the top of our situation,” the mayor said.

“We are doing our best to control the further spread of COVID-19,” she said.

Gonzales-Kwan said establishments would be allowed to operate but are to strictly observe health protocols, like wearing of masks and social distancing.

“Licenses of the business establishments that will violate the protocols will not be renewed,” the mayor said.

In Barugo town, Leyte, residents who will need medical assistance were advised to visit the health facilities outside the town.

Mayor Maria Rosario Avestruz ordered the indefinite closure of the town’s rural health unit after three health workers tested positive for the virus.

The town has 36 remaining cases of COVID-19 after a total of 191.

As of Thursday, Eastern Visayas has 12,475 COVID-19 cases with 153 deaths.

TSB