DAVAO CITY, Philippines – City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has ordered the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Davao City due to the increasing reports of 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection in the city.
On Thursday afternoon, Mayor Duterte-Carpio issued Executive Order No. 23 which announced the ECQ will begin on April 4 at 9:00 PM until 11:59 PM of 19 April 2020, unless further extended or sooner withdrawn based on recommendations of the Department of Health.
In her interview on Davao City Disaster Radio, the mayor stressed the need to implement the ECQ because of the increase of Covid-19 cases in the city.
Carpio also said the ECQ is based on Presidential Proclamation 922 “to put the country in a State of Public Health Emergency in relation to National Security”.
“Do not panic about the ECQ. Let’s panic about the Covid-19 because it kills people,” the mayor said.
EO 23 reiterates some provisions from EO 20-A with the following:
1. All government offices must work from home and leave minimal employees to continue work in offices except those involved in security, health, social services, sanitation, and disaster, who must continue to work on full operation;
2. All private establishments and offices must close EXCEPT groceries, supermarkets, wet markets/palengkes, food commissaries, food processing or manufacturing, food delivery services, wholesale food outlets, convenience stores, sari-sari stores, hospitals, medical laboratories, pharmacies, drugstores, other health services/personnel, banks and ATMs, savings and credit cooperatives, money-transfer services and bayad centers, courier services, other delivery services, doctor’s and dentist’s clinics, gas stations, water refilling stations, LPG stations, business process outsourcing/call centers, and mass media outlets. Whenever possible, skeletal workforce arrangement must be implemented and at all times physical distancing between employees must be observed;
3. All other business establishments and private offices not mentioned but are considered essential sectors, including but not limited to energy, water, telecommunications, must work only for preventive maintenance and during emergencies;
4. Manufacturing, fabrication, construction work that is not pertinent to the public health emergency and state of calamity response should immediately cease operation. Agri-business and farms should reduce workload and extend their deadlines to significantly reduce laborers in the job site and to create a two-meter distance between laborers;
5. Ambulant food vendors who are using different modes of transportation to sell basic food commodities in the barangays shall be allowed. Basic food commodities shall mean rice, bread, meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, cooking oil and other food condiments. There must be a maximum of 2 workers, 1 driver and 1 assistant who shall wear face masks and shall implement proper food handling;
6. All jeepneys must stop their operation except those hired to work for the government or offices and businesses that are open during the ECQ;
7. These forms of transportation are allowed:
a. Private vehicles and Taxis with 1 driver and 1 passenger in front and 1 at the back, observing physical distancing;
b. Tricycle with 1 driver and 1 passenger in front and 1 at the back, observing distancing;
c. Single rider motorcycle or bicycle;
d. Free bus rides from the government;
8. All individuals on the streets must carry and, whenever asked by law enforcement or barangay checkpoints, must present their employee ID OR food and medicine pass with valid ID whichever is applicable;
9. No alcohol drink or liquor shall be sold, served, or consumed in public from 5:00PM to 8:00AM;
10. The curfew hours are 9:00PM to 5:00AM. People cannot go out of their houses, except in cases of emergencies;
11. There is no need for any ID or pass in the event of an emergency;
12. The following workers are exempted from curfew, those employed in government offices related to security, health, social services, sanitation, and disaster, 24 hours groceries/convenience store, wet markets/palengkes, food commissaries, food processing or manufacturing, food delivery services, hospitals, medical laboratories, pharmacies, drugstores, other health services/personnel, doctor’s and dentist’s clinics, gas stations, and mass media outlets;
13. The food and medicine pass (FM pass) shall be used to buy food, medicines or go to the hospital. Two individuals can be named on the pass but only 1 named person therein can use it at any given time. FM pass can only be used from the hours of 5:00AM to 9:00PM.
14. No minor, senior citizen, pregnant women, sick, and immunocompromised individuals can go out of the residence or dwelling except to go to the hospital, medical, or allied medical institutions. Those who live alone may get an FM pass or whenever possible and if appropriate, ask a neighbor or a friend to help them buy food and medicines. Whenever possible, employers must assign their senior citizens to work from home.
15. Individuals are allowed to exercise or go out into the sun or get some fresh air provided that they are within a few meters from their residence or dwelling.
The Department of Health Davao Region 11 welcomed the Enhanced Community Quarantine as this would minimize the contact among people by physical distancing.
“With the measures that we are going to take, a more enhanced community quarantine will lessen the rate of infection in the region,” Dr. Lenny Joy Rivera, Assistant Regional Director of DOH 11 said.
Davao Region has confirmed on Thursday addition of two cases of Covid-19, raising the total number to 61.(davaotoday.com)
