ILOILO – Despite social distancing protocols outlined in executive orders he issued relative to the prevention and control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Mayor Bryant Paul Biron of Barotac Nuevo lamented, “We still encounter a lot of problems imposing (them).”
Thus he issued Executive Order (EO) No. 38, Series of 2020 imposing “total quarantine” on the two remaining Sundays of April (19 and 26) to further strengthen the municipality’s measures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.
As of April 14, Barotac Nuevo had two confirmed COVID-19 cases – a 59-year-old female who died on April 5 and a 25-year-old female confined in a hospital but with stable condition.
Social distancing would be strictly enforced and people would be prohibited from leaving their houses unless there is an emergency.
Biron particularly wanted social distancing observed in the public market in Barangay Ilaud Poblacion “and in all essential establishments.”
Social distancing, also called “physical distancing”, means keeping space between people. Its goal is to stop or slow down the spread of COVID-19.
The local government of Barotac Nuevo is observing barangay clustering at the public market – villages are designated days when their residents could go to the market.
Here are the key points of EO No. 38:
* Starting April 13, the market schedule earlier given will not only cover transactions inside the public market but also transactions in all essential establishments outside the public market within Barangay Ilaud Poblacion.
* Every Sunday, starting April 19, the public market and all essential establishments in the entire municipality shall be closed except for drugstores, hospitals, medical clinics, and the Rural Health Unit.
* All residents are required to stay at home during Sundays and non-essential travel shall not be allowed except for emergency cases.
* Only frontliners are allowed to go out during Sundays.
* Vehicles and persons from other municipalities and Iloilo City, with valid enhanced quarantined pass and documents, passing through the municipality of Barotac Nuevo during Sundays shall not be hampered.
* As per executive order and memorandum order of the provincial government, operations of trisikads, tricycles and motorcycles in the municipality are suspended. Private vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles used privately in going to the market and in all essential establishments in Barangay Ilaud Poblacion shall strictly follow the above-mentioned schedule. No vehicle is allowed to enter Barangay Ilaud Poblacion if it is not their schedule except those delivering essential goods and those passing through going to other barangays, municipalities or Iloilo City.
* Only jeepneys allowed by the local government unit will serve as shuttle services for those who will need transportation in going to the market and to Iloilo City. Jeepneys designated as transportation within the municipality will also follow the market schedule and will strictly impose physical social distancing protocols among the commuters.
* The public market and all essential establishments in Barangay Ilaud Poblacion will only cater to those clients based on the above-mentioned schedule. Stalls in the public market and essential establishments not observing physical social distancing protocols shall be closed upon recommendation of the market supervisors and business permit and licensing office./PN
