CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government will be closing all borders of the city starting Saturday noon, March 28, 2020.
Mayor Edgardo Labella has placed the city under enhanced community quarantine after Cebu City recorded 7 presumptive positive cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). The enhanced community quarantine will last until April 28, 2020, or a month after its implementation.
“After a meticulous thought. I announce the state of enhanced community quarantine in the City of Cebu effective on Saturday, March 28, 2020,” said the mayor.
Labella ordered the closure of all 14 borders of the city from non-residents, with exception of medical workers, government workers, media, delivery vehicles carrying commodities, and other individuals working in the city amidst the community quarantine such as pharmacists, food service personnel, and bank personnel.
Public transportation, private vehicles and motorcycles, and other means of transport will not be allowed to enter the city, and cannot also ply the city streets during the enhanced community quarantine.
However, government vehicles, delivery vehicles, private vehicles with the purpose to obtain commodities in the city, media, cargo trucks carrying commodities, and free buses deployed by the city government are exempted.
The city will also provide free rides for medical professionals and those who will still have to work in the city despite the “lockdown.”
Checkpoints will be established 24 hours a day to ensure the limited movement to and from Cebu City. Since Cebu City remains to be the capital of the province, despite being an independent local government unit (LGU), provincial government officials, board members, government staff, and everyone who needs to conduct business in the provincial capitol can also enter the city. Same goes for regional offices, as Cebu City is also the center of Central Visayas.
“As we raise the enhanced community quarantine, I expect everyone to abide the protocols kay para man ni natong tanan (because this is for everyone),” said Labella.
The mayor also formed the crisis management team to create the guidelines for the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine and to handle the implementation of the executive order. /rcg