Negros Occidental on quarantine from March 30

BACOLOD CITY: Negros Occidental will be placed under enhanced community quarantine starting Monday, March 30, until April 14, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson announced Thursday.

In Executive Order (EO) 20-20, he said the quarantine is a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 in the province, which has 8976 persons under monitoring as of March 25.

The province also has nine persons under investigation (PUIs) and two recorded PUI deaths, both pending laboratory results.

Governor Lacson clarified that an enhanced community quarantine is not a lockdown as it only aims “to limit people on the streets.”

“The impression now is [that] nobody can go out and that grocery stores, banks and utilities will be closed. That is not true. They will be open with some adjustments in the number of hours they operate,” he explained.

The provincial government will deploy a skeleton force during the quarantine period. Lacson, however, said employees who are not physically fit would be allowed to do their jobs at home with pay.

“Curfew is not applicable anymore because only one member is allowed to go out. Senior citizens who are the most vulnerable to the virus are strictly not allowed to go out. The key word here is cooperation,” he pointed out.

The EO will suspend public transportation, including buses, jeepneys, taxis, for- hire vans, tricycles, electronic tricycles and pedicabs.

The EO also mandates the provincial government to implement a scheme of delivering food packs and other basic necessities to vulnerable cities and towns during the 14- day lockdown.

The provincial borders, ports and airports will also be closed. However, delivery of all cargoes will be allowed.