ILOILO – “Everything is in place.”
This was how Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. described the current status of this province as to protocols and curbs being implemented under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Despite tallying over 200 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for two days (May 25 – 110 and May 26 – 119), Defensor asserted that this province need not shift to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), which is the current status of neighboring Iloilo City.
“Ang level sang aton health protocols kag ang aton quarantine measures mataas na ina,” Defensor told journalists.
The governor also dismissed the idea of locking down municipalities saying “indi sia practical sa subong.”
He stressed: “When you do something like that you ask the questions: What can our economy afford? What can the people afford?”
What the province can do now, Defensor said, is to lock down select areas only if they meet certain parameters.
“Halimbawa may five clusters in three sitios in a densely populated barangay which means more than 1,000 persons… you can lock it down,” he explained.
A coronavirus cluster occurs when there is a concentration of local infections in the same area at the same time. These are areas recording two or more local cases in the last 14 days.
The governor also said he could not impose home quarantine to the entire province as this can only be declared in areas under enhanced community quarantine.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 as May 27 showed Iloilo with 7,175 total coronavirus cases – 1,041 active, 5,947 recovered and 186 dead.
LIQUOR BAN
To minimize, if not eliminate, public mobility amid restrictions brought about by the pandemic, the provincial government also prohibited the sale and consumption of liquor until May 31, 2021.
“The consumption/drinking in any setting, whether public or private place, and the selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving, dispensing and transporting of alcoholic beverages, such as, whisky, brandy, din, vodka, rum, cocktail, wine, champagne, beer and such other intoxicating drinks, shall be prohibited from 28 May 2021 to 31 May 2021, unless otherwise extended,” read part of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s Executive Order (EO) No. 174 issued yesterday.
“There is a need to adjust health protocols and community quarantine measures so as to not overwhelm the healthcare system of the province,” Defensor said, citing the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases here.
As of this writing, Defensor said Iloilo has 7,282 total confirmed COVID-19 cases, wherein 1,017 are active.
“For two week period from 12 May 2021 to 25 May 2021, the daily average of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province is 45, with an average daily attack rate of 3.07, and a two-week growth of 44.86 percent for a supposed community quarantine classification of moderate (general community quarantine),” the EO noted.
Defensor said it is deemed necessary for the province to also impose liquor ban following Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas’ order for his city.
“Dapat magdungan ang probinsya because we will water down the effects of that in the city… we will be significantly reducing the risk kon ipaumod anay naton ang (sale and consumption of) alcoholic drink bisan diin lang whether sa balay or not because it is the center piece of social gatherings,” Defensor pointed out.
The governor, however, clarified that the public cannot keep alcoholic drinks for private consumption as there were policemen assigned to patrol.
“Local Task Forces are enjoined to conduct patrolling, inspection and exercise visitorial power to enforce the above liquor ban,” Defensor said./PN
