ILOILO – In all 1,721 barangays here, quarantine passes are now required when going out of the house. These will be checked at barangay control points.
The province is logging an average of 181 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) daily since the start of August, necessitating stricter virus containment, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
Mobility is restricted to accessing essentials like work, vaccination or procurement of food and household needs.
Only one quarantine pass would be issued by the barangay to each household.
Authorized persons outside residence (APORs) are allowed to go out. These include health and emergency frontline services personnel; government officials and government frontline personnel; duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors (HAAs); persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons and persons availing Department of Foreign Affairs consular services (with confirmed appointment); any person whose purpose of travel is for work/conduct of business in allowed offices, establishments, industries and livelihood sectors; and public utility vehicle operators.
But some APORs are required to present quarantine passes. These are APORs traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons, and non-government APORs working or doing business in other livelihood sectors (agricultural and fishery sectors).
Meanwhile, non-government APORs (APORs working in companies and private employers) are required to present their company ID. For public utility vehicle operators, their driver’s license/company ID will suffice.
In case of medical emergencies and other crisis response, quarantine passes or other requirements are not required.
The barangay quarantine, which will last until the end of the month, shall be imposed in all barangays regardless of their COVID-19 situation, said Defensor.
WHY THE SURGE?
Unavoidable gatherings are happening, according to Defensor.
He was referring to the distribution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Special Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
“Kon maghatag sang financial assistance… may gatherings gid, whether small or big, or barangay or municipal level, may ara gid,” Defensor lamented.
“If you pour P2.6 billion to the local economy (by way of the Special AICS) in the span of more than one week, sigurado you will increase the circulation of the people,” the governor said.
Weeks before the cash aid distribution, Defensor noted that the province was recording 150 coronavirus cases daily.
Now, according to the governor, they would be keeping track of yet another facet of possible virus transmission – the Special AICS distribution – in addition to the earlier four which include public transportation, religious gatherings, workplace, and public markets.
These four cannot be halted as these are allowed under modified enhanced community quarantine.
ALL-TIME HIGH
On Aug. 18, the province logged 386 new cases, its highest in just one day.
The 10 local government units (LGUs) with the highest number of new cases were Oton (59), Santa Barbara (47), San Joaquin (37), Guimbal (36), Miag-ao (33), Igbaras (24), Passi City (19), Lambunao (16), Sara (14), and Dumangas (10).
Other LGUs that logged new cases on Wednesday were Zarraga (10), Pavia (10), Leganes (10), Barotac Nuevo (five), Estancia (five), Balasan (five), Pototan (four), Leon (four), Badiangan (four), San Miguel (four), Alimodian (three), Janiuay (two), San Dionisio (two), Dingle (two), Calinog (two), Carles (two), Cabatuan (two), Tigbauan (two), Maasin (two), Dueñas (two), Anilao (two), Tubungan (one), New Lucena (one), Mina (one), Lemery (one), Ajuy (one), and Batad (one).
The province also recorded 270 new recovered cases and two deaths on Wednesday.
Total coronavirus cases in the province already reached 20,057, of which 3,109 were active./PN
