Movement restrictions in place while Cebu City under MECQ

THE mandatory stay-at-home order will be strictly enforced in Cebu City, while the city continues to be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second most stringent quarantine level, until Aug. 31, 2021.

As of Saturday, Aug. 14, Cebu City logged 3,637 active coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.

Acting Mayor Michael Rama issued Executive Order (EO) 137, which provides guidelines for the enforcement of a heightened state of MECQ to slow down the spread of Covid-19. The EO takes effect immediately until the end of the month, unless the classification is extended again.

The EO states that the stay-at-home order applies to all except:

* Medical practitioners, officers, hospital staff, nurses and health volunteers for the purpose of rendering medical assistance and/or service;

* Emergency personnel, security personnel and force multipliers;

* All authorized national and local government officials and employees;

* Drivers and personnel of delivery vehicles carrying all types of cargoes;

* Accredited media personnel;

* Farmers, fishermen and agri-business personnel;

* Persons who seek medical attention or who are already admitted in any medical facility provided that only one companion shall be allowed; and

* Employees of establishments and offices permitted to operate.

The EO only allows movements outside the homes when it is for purposes of accessing essential goods and services and basic necessities from permitted establishments, for work in allowed establishments and offices and for humanitarian reasons.

Inter-intra barangay protocol quarantine points will be established to restrict movements of persons for essential and work-related purposes only.

Those manning quarantine points will require the presentation of proof of identity, including Cebu City Hall identification (ID) card; government ID; and other ID issued by permitted establishments.

Rama asked parents or heads of the family to take full responsibility in keeping children and minors strictly at home, while all individuals of legal age, unless mentally incapacitated, should be responsible and accountable for their actions.

The parental supervised household lockdown must be exercised by parents or heads of the family and must implement the following:

* Coordinate and link with the barangay or the Task Force “Puyo” for any concerns within the household;

* Assign a protocol enforcement marshal to ensure family members heed health protocols;

* Monitor movements of family members;

* Prohibit gatherings, including outside of one’s immediate household;

* Keep the house clean;

* Protect others in the community by staying at home, especially when sick;

* Not discriminate when a member of the family or in the community is sick;

* Inform the barangay health worker of any suspected case or illness.

Rama created Task Force “Puyo,” which is composed of personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; Philippine National Police; Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO); Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team; barangay captains; Barangay Environmental Office; Public Information Office; force multipliers; and other agencies and persons as may be authorized by law to implement the EO’s provisions.

Around 700 personnel from the CCPO, Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Bureau of Fire Protection, Task Force Kasaligan, Probe, CCTO and Cebu Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement, among others, were gathered at the sendoff ceremony for the implementation of Task Force 81531 at the Cebu City Sports Center on Sunday, Aug. 15.

Task Force “Puyo” will deploy around-the-clock foot patrol and conduct random inspections on street, thoroughfares and areas where people usually converge, including:

* Carbon market, public and wet markets and in Bagsakan;

* Supermarkets, grocery stores, department stores and malls;

* Terminals for public utility vehicles, ports of entry and coastal areas;

* Parks, playgrounds and outdoor sports arenas;

* Barangay halls and barangay multi-purpose complex;

* Churches, mosques and places of worship;

* Empty lots and other similar areas; and

* Other analogous places to the foregoing.

Rama said the City will be coordinating with the Provincial Government and its neighboring cities regarding perimeter manning, handling and control and border and boundaries management.

While the EO allows the operation of public and private laboratories conducting reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and other Covid-19 tests, the management or owners are required to get exact verifiable details from their patients.

While under MECQ, the EO stated that the City Government shall adopt and execute programs that aim towards strengthening food production, food security, income generation and hunger alleviation.

Other measures to be implemented as stated under the EO issued by Rama include:

* Implementation of curfew in the city which starts from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.;

* Imposition of barangay and sitio lockdown. The village chief must give prior notice to the Emergency Operations Center before the imposition of a lockdown;

* Continuation of the Covid-19 vaccination program, as well as blood-letting program;

* Implementation of the existing City ordinances to curtail the cases Covid-19 pandemic;

* Permitted establishments and activities must observe 50 percent on-site capacity;

* Prohibition of operation of non-essential industries, as provided under the Inter-Agency Task Force and Department of Industry guidelines, must be observed;

* Promotion of health-enhancing behaviors in businesses and offices;

* Essential gatherings are allowed like religious gatherings with 10 percent capacity, while wakes and necrological services must only be limited to the immediate family;

* PUV operation is allowed, providing health protocols are observed;

* Inter-island travel is prohibited, except for authorized government officials and employees, health and emergency workers, law enforcement personnel, authorized persons outside residence and trucks and vehicles transporting all types of cargoes;

* Liquor ban stays;

* Disturbance of peace like doing karaoke is prohibited; and

* Demolition of informal settlers should be temporarily suspended.

Violation of any provision of the EO and other EOs related to the Covid-19 pandemic are subject to penalties pursuant to existing national laws and local ordinances.

A total of 746 residents were apprehended by Probe from Aug. 7 to Aug 13 and were held in the holding area at the Cogon Ramos gymnasium.

Arce said most of the violators were apprehended over the weekend and half were not wearing or improperly wearing face masks and the other were caught breaking the curfew. (JJL, MVE)