ILOILO – The Sunday lockdown in Calinog town has been extended to one month. Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are rising.
Mayor Francisco Calvo issued Executive Order No. 30, series of 2021 “extending the effectivity and imposition of Executive Order No. 27 and 27-B and additional guidelines in the implementation of restrictions on the movements and activities of Calinognons due to the increasing number of COVID-19 local transmission in the municipality.”
According to Calvo, the Sunday lockdown, which started on March 22, was placed in order to limit people’s movement.
“The proliferating number of positive cases due to local transmission is very alarming as it rose from four cases in early March to 36 in April 2,” Calvo explained in his executive order.
He added that the speed of the transmission and the increasing number of positive cases, hospitalizations and a death are reasons to impose more stringent public health and safety restrictions.
“Pagapalawigon ang Sunday lockdown sa masunod pa nga apat ka Domingo magluwas gid lamang kon makita naton nga may pagbag-o sa dalagan ka mga kaso. Kon magnubo, mahimu naton daya pauntaton sa pinaka-temprano,” Calvo added.
As of April 4, Calinog had 99 total confirmed COVID-19 cases – 26 were active, 71 recovered and two deaths.
The restrictions in the Sunday lockdown include “all establishments in the town proper, excluding those who sell essential products and which render essential services like pharmacy stores and clinics.”
“Small stores located in barangays will be allowed to open. However, gatherings and bystanders in such areas, shall not be allowed,” the order added.
The restriction was also extended to all ambulant vendors as “they are not allowed to sell their products at the market proper, or anywhere within the area of jurisdiction of the municipality.”
Calvo also formed a COVID-19 Task Force to implement the minimum public health standards in Poblacion, which is the center of economic activities.
Task Force COVID-19 is composed of one member each from the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police (PNP), Municipal Health Office and barangay tanods.
“The violator will be sanctioned,” said Calvo. “The first time offender will be subjected to a reprimand, while the second time and habitual offender will be punished under the Municipal Ordinance No. 2020-06 that mandates the use of facemask in public places with a penalty P2,500 for violators.”
He added: “Those who cannot pay said amount will be subjected to a five-hour orientation and educational seminar by the PNP.”
Persons in micro-financing, whether natural or judicial, offering “shark loans” without permits/licenses and operating outside the municipality, are prohibited to enter the municipality for the duration of the effectivity of the said executive order.
Collectors for micro-financing institutions operating within the jurisdiction of the municipality are allowed to conduct their business except in areas/barangays with recorded cases of local transmission.
Commercial delivery vans from outside the municipality, delivering goods from other places, shall be required to present documents to attest that they are in good health. Documents may either be a health certificate or a rapid test result valid for at least seven days./PN
