Liquor ban, longer curfew back in Metro
DRINKING alcohol has again been disallowed in Quezon City while cities in northern Metro Manila imposed longer curfew hours to keep residents in their homes.
The Quezon City government reimposed the liquor ban after local medical experts found that drinking in public places helped spread the coronavirus disease.
“There were various instances where those who contracted the virus claimed they simply went out for a drink with neighbors,” Rolly Cruz, head of the City Epidemiological
Surveillance Unit, said.
Mayor Josefina Belmonte said the liquor ban would be implemented from August 4 to 18.
In Manila, Mayor Francisco Domagoso ordered the police to arrest those who drink alcohol in public.
“I will not do the liquor ban because no one could buy alcohol in the first place,” he said in jest.
With Metro Manila under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the four local chief executives in northern Metro Manila imposed longer curfew hours, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., to keep residents inside their homes.
Mayors Oscar Malapitan (Caloocan), Antolin Oreta (Malabon), Tobias Tiangco (Navotas) and Rex Gatchalian (Valenzuela) announced the curfew changes after their local legislative councils amended their respective curfew ordinances. The mayors said the previous quarantine pass issued to residents would still be honored until new passes are issued to them through the barangay ( village) government.
In Caloocan, Malapitan said color-coded quarantine passes — green and orange — would effectively regulate the movement of the residents under stricter MECQ.
“To be fair to everybody, the color-coded quarantine pass will be alternately given to the households in every barangay,” he told TheManila Times in a text message.
Heeding the health workers’ call for “timeout,” the national government imposed MECQ in areas of the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna beginning Tuesday until August 18.