By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered Tuesday the closure of this city “to the rest of the province, to the rest of the country to the rest of the world” because of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
“This is not something that we want to do but this is something that we have to do in this abnormal times,” Leonardia in a press conference.
Leonardia assured the city remains COVID-19 free and “let us keep it that way.”
Leonardia also ordered the implementation of a curfew here from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. as part the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease-2019 or COVID-19.
The order is contained in Executive Order No. 22 that was released to the media Tuesday. It laid down the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of EO No. 21 that placed Bacolod under General Community Quarantine.
EO 22 mandates that the movement of people in the city will be limited to accessing basic necessities and work only, while uniformed personnel and quarantine officers will conduct border patrols.
Check-up points have also been placed in the city’s entry and exit points which will be manned by the police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, City Health Office, and other government agencies.
Workers who live outside Bacolod City are required to present a valid company ID when entering the city; while city residents who work outside the city are also required to present their company ID when exiting.
Movement of people is also limited to medical and health workers; those who are travelling for medical or humanitarian reasons; authorized government officials; people providing basic services; and those moving primary commodities in and out of the city.
The only exempted individuals who will be allowed to move around the city during curfew hours are medical personnel, night-shift workers, public utility personnel, rescue personnel, religious ministers performing last sacraments, and public utility vehicle drivers.
The city is also asking parents to restrict their children from going outside and they must remain in their homes at all times under supervision.
Malls, meanwhile, have also been asked to limit their operations until 8 p.m. only.
The city also encouraged companies operating in the city to adopt flexible working hours pursuant to the labor advisory issued by the Department of Labor and Employment.
The quarantine measures are effective until 11:59 p.m. of April 14.
EO 21, on the other hand, restricted all land, sea, and air travels to and from Bacolod.
TALISAY CITY CURFEW
Mayor Neil Lizares III, who is on a 14-day self imposed home quarantine, issued Tuesday Executive Order 10-2020 imposing a curfew on Talisay City from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The order also required establishments to close at 9 p.m.
Exempted from the curfew are:
- Persons travelling for medical and humanitarian reasons;
- Persons transiting to the airport in Silay City or seaport in Bacolod City for travel on pre-booked trips;
- Persons providing basic services and public utilities;
- Persons transiting to and from work provided the person shall present identification card (I.D.);
- Persons trading fish and similar products in all markets in the city and facilities where food and food products, in any form, are being traded;
- Persons working in trading and/or delivery of raw materials, food products and other food supplies;
- Persons officially transporting any item in assistance of the fight against the CoViD 2019;
- Health workers doing their official functions;
- Authorized local government officials and personnel, such as members of Emergency Response Teams, peace and order personnel in both the city and barangay levels, and the medical and non-medical staff of the emergency section of the City Health Office of this city; and City government’s essential skeletal workforce.
Establishments exempted from the curfew are:
- Food shops except restaurants, pubs and bars serving alcoholic drinks and/or those which allow videoke/karaoke;
- Supermarkets;
- Pharmacies;
- Clinics and Laboratories; and
- Banks.
