Tagbilaran City will become a virtual ghost town at night as an eight-hour curfew which starts 9 p.m. will be strictly imposed starting Wednesday while all establishments are ordered to close an hour before curfew, except drugstores, hospitals and radio stations amid the growing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat.
Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell Yap yesterday signed Executive Order (EO) No. 11 that will place the city under curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. until April 12.
Barangay officials are mandated to ensure the observance of the curfew.
“All malls and all other commercial establishments, including balut vendors and food stalls, are directed to limit their daily operations up to 8 p.m. only, except for medical centers, pharmacies, and other healthcare establishments,” the EO stated.
The EO also places the city under a state of general community quarantine.
Internet shops, cinemas and other entertainment centers and places of leisure where social distancing is unlikely to be observed such as KTV bars are ordered closed starting today.
“Tagbilaran City residents are strongly advised to stay in their homes or go out only to report for work; buy food, medicines, and necessary supplies; or go to medical centers or hospitals only when necessary,” the EO said.
Public transportation within the city is still allowed but operators are directed to observe the Department of Transportation (DOTr) guidelines on social distancing.
The mayor also instructed in the EO that “health checkpoints shall be installed in all entry points in the city, with the assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Tagbilaran City Police Station and the City Health Office (CHO).”
“Guidelines on preventive measures, like temperature scanning, will be done at the checkpoints. If the temperature of an individual exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius, he or she will be placed in a holding area where the temperature will be rechecked, and if the high body temperature persists, the checkpoint personnel shall contact the healthcare representative of the CHO or Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT), in the case of a city barangay,” the EO stated.
Private establishments are mandated to procure and use temperature scanning device at all entry points of their premises and provide liquid soaps, sanitizers or a 70-percent solution rubbing alcohol in restroom and common areas.
If a person’s body temperature “exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius, he or she will be prohibited to enter an establishment and advised to seek immediate medical care or be directly sent to the nearest healthcare provider.”
Yap also directed that “all mass gatherings, including, but not limited to concerts, cockpit operations, fiesta celebrations, either privately or publicly-led, should be cancelled or postponed”.
Government work will not be disrupted and City Government offices remain open daily, observing the regular office hours, but personnel may be asked to report on shifting arrangements if needed.
As also allowed under Memorandum Circular No. 7-series of 2020 of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), government agencies operating in the city are also encouraged to implement alternative work arrangements.
Yap directed hospitals and medical establishments “to oblige all their health workers to wear proper protective clothing and to follow the directives of the Department of Health while the State of Public Health Emergency persists.”
“All BHERTs are instructed to follow the directives and protocol that will be set by the CHO and/or the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office,” he added.
Meanwhile, under the current situation, “appropriation from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council CDRRMC funds and other relevant emergency funds shall be made available and utilized, in accordance with established Commission on Audit (COA) rules and accounting guidelines,” Yap stated in the EO.