ILOILO – Barangay control points are up in every barangay in Oton town. Village officials also started requiring quarantine passes. Movement is limited to work and accessing essential services.
All 37 barangays in the town have recorded coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, according to acting Mayor Vicente Flores, thus the need to impose travel curbs that will last until the remainder of the month.
As of Tuesday, Oton had 1,801 total confirmed coronavirus cases – 300 active, 1,458 recovered and 43 dead.
Oton topped 42 other local government units in this province in cumulative and active COVID-19 cases.
Only one quarantine pass will be issued per family for the procurement of essentials such as food.
In cases of emergency, however, quarantine passes are not needed to travel.
Authorized persons outside their residences (APORs) are also exempted. These include health and emergency frontline services personnel and uniformed personnel; government officials and employees on official travel; duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors, especially those transporting medical supplies and laboratory specimens related to COVID-19, and other relief and humanitarian assistance; persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons, and those leaving their residence to be vaccinated (with proof of schedule), and persons availing Department of foreign Affairs consular services; persons going to and from the airport including Overseas Filipino Workers carrying Overseas Employment Certificates; any persons whose purpose of travel is for work/conduct of business in allowed offices, establishments, industries and livelihood sectors,; and public utility vehicle operators.
“Ang economic frontliners maka-obra man or those allowed mag-obra pero i-presentar nila ID nila or certificate of employment,” said Flores.
A 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew is also being implemented.
Lending centers and other collecting agents are also strictly prohibited from going in and out of the town until the end of the month, Flores added.
“Ang tinutuyo sang aton banwa mapanubo ang COVID-19 positive cases,” the acting mayor added. “Ginapangabay ang tanan nga Ogtonganon nga magsunod sa mga (minimum public health) protocols.”
Flores also clarified, “Wala kita lockdown.”/PN
