Talisay City policemen man the border checkpoint of Talisay City and Cebu City. | file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas said he was caught off guard with the decision of the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to place the city under a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
However, he said that city will have to comply with the MECQ guidelines as the city government and the Cebu Provincial Government works on the appeal to the IATF-MEID to return Talisay City to a General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
In a video message to his constituents, the mayor detailed the changes to expect as the city fully implements the MECQ guidelines.
Here are the guidelines that every Talisaynon must take note while on MECQ:
- Quarantine Passes will be used by the residents.
- The market schedules will remain.
- The City Hall will be operational with a skeletal force.
- Border Control – There will be two entrances and exits in the city, at the South Road Properties and at the N. Bacalso Highway in Barangay Bulacao. Checkpoints will be manned 24 hours a day.
- Workers who will need to leave the city must present an identification card and a certificate of employment.
- The South Bus Terminal will remain in Lantaw at the SRP, but for the interior roads, the Libreng Sakay will be available for areas with a market schedule.
The mayor urged the public to follow these guidelines while the city remains under MECQ in order to decrease the chances of the further spreading of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Appeal on IATF
Meanwhile, the mayor will be sending working on the appeal of the city for a reconsideration of the IATF’s decision.
Gullas believes that the IATF may have taken decided on the date they received, which said that there were zero recoveries from the city.
He belied this information and said there are actually a total of 43 recovered cases in the city.
Read: Gullas to DOH: ‘Talisay has 43 recoveries, not zero’
“Maybe they made the decision based on the data that there are no recoveries. We will give them the data showing our recoveries and we will hope for their decision,” said the mayor.
Still, the mayor said that whatever quarantine status the city has, the people must accept the fact that COVID-19 is already a part of their lives, and must act accordingly.
Gullas hopes for the cooperation of the residents during the MECQ period so that the city can be reverted back to a General Community Quarantine Status or lower. /bmjo