By Jennifer P. Rendon
More than a year into the pandemic, more people in Iloilo province are still not used to observing protocols to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
And numbers don’t lie.
Since January 1 to August 23, 2021, different police units in Iloilo province collared 31,433 violators of different health protocols.
The top violation involved the failure of the observance of physical/social distancing, which accounts for 30 percent of the apprehensions.
Records from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) showed that 9,574 persons were apprehended for violating the rule on physical distancing.
Most of them, or around 9,157, were warned; 399 were fined and 18 were told to render community service.
Non-wearing of face shield is the second most common violation with 7,169 violators and 2,820 for improper wearing of face shield.
Only 28 were fined for non-wearing and 10 for improper wearing of face shield while the rest were only warned.
IPPO apprehended 6,637 violators for non-wearing of face mask and 4,650 for improper wearing of face mask.
On the other hand, 529 were caught for violating the ban on mass gathering.
Of the 31,433 total violators, only four cases were filed in court, all for violation on prohibition on mass gathering.
Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo police chief, said the most violators were collared in public markets, terminals, and other places of convergence.
“It could be due to complacency. Some of them might be violating the protocols thinking that they live in rural areas and that the rate of contracting the virus is lesser, which is a wrong notion,” he said.
But there are others who simply don’t follow protocols.
Just the same, Gorero said that they would continue to implement the minimum health protocol, especially that cases continue to surge.
