ILOILO City – Because passengers were not observing social distancing, boat trips from this city to the island province of Guimaras and vice versa were suspended.
This city’s Mayor Jerry Treñas and Guimaras’ Gov. Samuel Gumarin agreed on the suspension during a meeting yesterday.
Health safety protocols at the Parola wharf here would be drawn up and only then would the trips resume, according to Trenas.
On Monday, Guimaras-bound people were seen jostling one another to get into boats, totally disregarding Treñas’ order to observe social distancing – a precautionary measure to slow down if not totally stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Some people were also not wearing facemasks, another anti-COVID measure.
Treñas was expected to release the protocols last night or today for the Parola wharf. Gumarin said he would do the same for the wharves in Guimaras.
According to the city mayor, he may ask for the reopening of the Ortiz wharf to decongest the Parola wharf.
Another measure he was mulling was requiring people from Guimaras to fill out health declaration cards after disembarking from motorboats at the Parola and Ortiz wharves.
The city, he added, may also only allow entry of persons from Guimaras if they are essential personnel such as healthcare workers and government officials, among others.
The suspension of boat trips from Parola wharf yesterday forced people wanting to cross the Iloilo Strait to Guimaras to take roll on, roll off (ro-ro) vessels operating the route.
“Ang ro-ro sigehon ta. Ang pumpboats waay lang anay except in case of emergency,” said Treñas./PN
