CEBU CITY, Philippines — As Cebu province is set to reimplement strict border controls with Cebu City, residents of the province who would opt to go home while they can may need to undergo home quarantine when they return to their hometowns.
In Consolacion town in northern Cebu, the local government has announced that returning residents from Cebu City will have to coordinate their arrival with their respective barangays (villages).
The municipal government of Consolacion said the returning residents are required to undergo 14 days of home quarantine as a precaution against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
On Tuesday evening, June 23, 2020, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that the province will re-impose strict border controls with Cebu City starting at 12:01 a.m. this Friday, June 26.
This means that residents of the province who work in Cebu City, except those exempted by Section 8 of Executive Order no. 17 and granted with a border pass by the Capitol, will no longer be allowed to cross to the territorial jurisdiction of the province.
“Pahibaw-a ang barangay nga imong ulian pinaagi sa pagtawag o pag-text kanila sa ilang mga contact numbers. Dili kinahanglan moadto sa barangay hall,” the local government said in an advisory.
(Let the barangay where you’re going home to know by calling or texting their contact numbers. There’s no need to go to the barangay hall.)
“Kinahanglan nga mag-home quarantine o home isolation ka sulod sa 14 ka adlaw gikan sa imong pag-abot. Samtang nagquarantine, kinahanglan nga i-obserbar nimo ang mga health protocols sama sa proper handwashing, pagsul-ob og face mask, social distancing ug paglig-on sa imong resistensya,” it added.
(You should undergo home quarantine or home isolation for 14 days from the time you arrive. While on quarantine, you should observe proper health protocols such as hand washing, wearing face masks, social distancing, and strengthening your immune system.)
Employees have until Thursday, June 25, to return home to the province. Otherwise, they may have to remain in Cebu City while the latter is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
The province’s borders with Cebu City are in Mandaue City and Consolacion town in the north, Talisay City in the south, and the municipality of Balamban in the west.
Garcia has already issued Executive Order no. 17-H, which reinstates the border controls stated in EO no. 17 and repeals EO no. 17-D, which relaxed the border restrictions between Cebu City and the province.
The move, according to Garcia, is in order to protect the province as she noted that the increase in the number of cases in its component towns and cities happened when the province allowed to ease the border restrictions with Cebu City.
From March 30 until June 2, the Capitol has imposed strict border controls with Cebu City because of the high incidence of COVID-19 in the city. When Cebu City transitioned to general community quarantine last June 1, the Capitol eased the controls to allow workers from the province to report to work and return home using their company ID and certificates of employment. /bmjo