ILOILO City – The National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has placed this southern city under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until May 31.
It approved Resolution No. 116-C yesterday barely a week after Mayor Jerry Treñas requested for a shift to a stricter community quarantine from the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) classification.
“This will help us lower our infections,” said Treñas.
He urged Ilonggos to “please go out only when necessary and make sure to follow minimum health protocols.”
Treñas confirmed yesterday that sea trips from Iloilo City to Negros Occidental – where there is also a sharp increase in infections – and vice versa will be temporarily suspended effective May 25 until May 31.
However, those from other areas like Metro Manila are not covered by the travel moratorium.
Treñas also clarified that there are no border restrictions between Iloilo City and other provinces in Western Visayas.
With the IATF’s MECQ approval, Treñas issued Executive Order (EO) No. 041-A reiterating the provisions of a previously issued EO No. 41-2021 placing the entire city under such quarantine level.
Iloilo City has been categorized as “high risk” by the Department of Health (DOH) just this May 15 with a Mortality Doubling Time of 41.82.
Also, the Iloilo City COVID Response Team reported a 209.1 percent increase in the daily average rate of cases in May 2021 from April 2021, while the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported a 741-percent increase in active cases (from 46 on May 0 to 563 on May 16).
Here are the additional and adjusted quarantine guidelines for Iloilo City:
CURFEW
The curfew is from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. Exempted from this are medical, government and uniformed personnel and those obtaining essential goods and services, or working in essential services or industries and offices that the nature of work requires employees to report on a night shift.
VULNERABLE SECTORS
The movement of vulnerable sectors (persons more than 65 years old and below 18 years old, pregnant women, persons with comorbidities, immune-deficiencies and other risk factors, and persons with disabilities) is limited.
They are required to remain in their residences at all times, except when obtaining essential goods and services.
Also, they may not enter malls and shopping centers except when obtaining essential goods and services or for work in establishments located therein until otherwise modified through subsequent issuances of the IATF.
INTRAZONAL TRAVEL IN WV
Those residing and working in Iloilo City are strongly discouraged from engaging in unnecessary travel to areas outside Iloilo City, including Negros Island. Non-essential travel which is purely recreational or that which is not intended for work, business or medical and humanitarian reasons is strongly discouraged.
Any person with a recent travel history outside Iloilo City and who, upon returning, exhibits any of the signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19 is enjoined to observe strict isolation; immediately contact local health authorities such as District Medical Health Officers, Barangay Health Emergency Response Team workers (BHERTs), Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and/or officers and staff of the Iloilo City Health Office; and submit themselves for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
PROHIBITED ESTABLISHMENTS, ACTIVITIES
The following establishments, persons, or activities are prohibited:
* entertainment venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas;
* recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues;
* amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;
* outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities;
* indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools;
* casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits (including the conduct of e-sabong as the same is only allowed under MGCQ), lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office;
* indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits;
* outdoor tourist attractions;
* venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;
* personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, among others
DINE-IN SERVICES
Restaurants, eateries and other food establishments are strongly encouraged to open only for take-outs.
Dine-in services of restaurants, eateries and other food establishments shall be limited to 20 percent seating capacity. However, a greater capacity may be allowed up to a maximum of 50 percent seating capacity for al fresco or outdoor dining subject to strict compliance to Executive Order Nos. 169 and 169-A S 2020.
WORK ARRANGEMENTS, ALLOWABLE CAPACITIES
Only the following establishments and offices are allowed to operate with full on-site capacity:
* public and private hospitals;
* health, emergency, and frontline services, including those provided by dialysis centers, chemotherapy centers, HMOs, health insurance providers, disaster risk reduction management officers, and public safety officers, and the like;
* manufacturers of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices, and equipment, including suppliers of input, packaging, and distribution;
* industries involved in agriculture (crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and poultry), forestry, fishery, and such other components of the food value chain and their workers, including farmers and fisherfolk;
* logistics service providers (delivery and courier services; cargo handling, warehousing; trucking; freight forwarding; shipping, port and terminal operators);
* essential and priority construction projects, whether public or private, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways;
* manufacturing related to food and other essential goods such as but not limited to soap and detergents, diapers, personal hygiene products, toilet paper, and wet wipes, and disinfectants;
* companies that manufacture, distribute, and/or supply equipment or products necessary to perform construction or maintenance works, such as cement and steel, or spare parts;
* essential retail trade and service establishments such as public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, hardware, office supplies, bicycle shops, laundry shops, and water-refilling stations;
* public and private financial service providers involved in the distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies; and
* business process outsourcing establishments (BPOs), and export-oriented businesses, including mining and quarrying activities; and
* public transport providers and operators.
All other private establishments and offices are allowed to operate at 30 percent maximum on-site capacity while highly encouraging to adopt work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements, where applicable.
Agencies and instrumentalities of the government shall remain fully operational with a skeleton workforce on-site, enjoining to operate at 30 percent capacity and the remainder under alternative work arrangements or work-from-home.
Work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements entailing lower numbers of employees working on site are still highly encouraged.
For Iloilo City Government employees, department heads are directed to adopt work arrangements that entail only 30 percent on-site capacity, insofar as practicable.
OPERATION OF HOTELS, ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS
Only hotels or accommodation establishments with valid Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation shall be allowed to accommodate guests and clients for legitimate purposes under a state of a public health emergency.
The operations of such hotels and accommodation establishments, as well as ancillary establishments within their premises such as restaurants, cafés, gyms, spas, function halls, and the like, shall be subject to guidelines issued by the DOT and the IATF.
Swimming pools and other similar swimming amenities of resorts, hotels, accommodation establishments and condominiums shall be temporarily closed.
GATHERINGS
Gatherings outside of residences and gatherings in residences with any person outside of one’s immediate household are prohibited.
However, gatherings that are essential for the provision of health services, government services, or humanitarian activities authorized by the appropriate government agency or instrumentality shall be allowed.
Religious gatherings shall be allowed up to 30 percent of the venue capacity. Religious denominations should strictly observe minimum public health standards.
Weddings and christenings are strongly discouraged except those who already have scheduled and paid-up bookings prior to the MECQ declaration, provided that, the same can only be attended to by immediate family members (first-degree relatives) or a maximum of 30 percent seating capacity, whichever is lower, and strict observance of minimum public health standards shall be maintained.
WAKES, BURIALS
Gatherings for wakes, inurnment and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 may be allowed, provided that the same shall be limited to immediate family members (first-degree relatives) only if being conducted at the residences.
If such shall be conducted at the funeral homes, satisfactory proof of the relationship with the deceased and the attendees shall be inspected by the management. In all cases, full compliance with the prescribed minimum public health standards for the duration of the activity must be strictly observed.
In all cases, the maximum number of days for the conduct of wakes shall be three days from the time the remains of the deceased are first displayed no matter whether the family or significant others of the deceased choose more than one venue for the same.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The road, maritime (except those with the approved travel moratorium from and to specified destinations), and aviation sectors of public transportation shall be allowed to operate at such capacity and protocols in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation.
The use of active transportation such as bicycles highly encouraged.
The movement of cargo/delivery vehicles, as well as vehicles used by public utility companies, shall be unhampered. Shuttle services of permitted establishments shall not be subject to an ID system but shall maintain compliance with minimum public health standards with the drivers wearing facemasks all the time and with transparent anti-COVID-19 dividers from the passengers. Passengers shall maintain one seat apart from each other and must sanitize prior to taking in. Companies with shuttle services must maintain a log book to easily track the passengers/employees.
VACCINATION ROLL-OUT
Vaccination roll-out at identified vaccination sites shall remain unhampered. No walk-ins. Pre-registration is a must.
Only the confirmed residents on the priority list and with vaccination tickets shall be accommodated.
HOME QUARANTINE
Confirmed COVID-19 positive individuals shall no longer be allowed to observe isolation or quarantine at home except those who are senior citizens, provided that home arrangements allow isolation from other family members, subject to inspection and approval of BHERTs./PN
