BORACAY – This island resort is not locking down despite recording new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at a luxury resort, according to Malay, Aklan acting mayor Frolibar Bautista.
He dismissed as “fake news” the posts circulating on social media about Boracay’s supposed imminent lockdown.
Bautista urged people to be mindful of their posts and refrain from sharing false information detrimental to the tourism industry.
“Make sure accurate ang mga information na nababasa natin. The lockdown isn’t true,” the acting mayor said in a radio interview on Jan. 25.
Bautista also said the wearing of facemasks remains compulsory indoors and in public places, and so is physical distancing.
The posh Shangri-La Boracay Resort & Spa in Barangay Yapak was subjected to massive disinfection and cleaning to stop the spread of COVID-19. Sixteen new COVID-19 cases were traced to the luxury resort.
These new cases were part of around 1,400 hotel employees, boatmen and island-hopping workers who were tested between Jan. 19 and 22.
In a statement, the resort stressed that health authorities conducted comprehensive contact tracing, while high risk contacts were advised to self-isolate until further notice.
“The resort is in full compliance with the guidelines, and after being notified of the test results, the hotel workers were all placed in self-isolation. They are asymptomatic and did not exhibit any symptoms on the days they were on duty,” it added.
The resort also temporarily suspended its operations. It will not accept any new check-ins from Jan. 22 to Jan. 28.
In a separate statement, Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the Department of Tourism (DOT) helped in the relocation of guests to other establishments or isolation facilities.
The DOT chief also called on all enterprises in Boracay to practice responsible tourism to effectively manage the COVID-19 situation in the island.
“Warnings, suspension or closure await those who violate established rules and regulations,” said Romulo.
As of Jan. 26, the province of Aklan had 594 COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths linked to the virus./PN
