No tightening of border controls, just stricter implementation of health protocols in Mandaue

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu–The Mandaue City government won’t implement stricter border control but will instead focus on intensifying its implementation of health protocols in its barangays.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, that instead of imposing stricter border controls, he will ask for closer monitoring of the implementation of health protocols at the barangay level to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the city.

“Sa Mandaue, dili nato [istriktohon] ato borders, kun dili sa implementation [of health protocols]. Padayun gihapon ato’ng coordination sa business sector, as well as ang 27 barangays, closely monitored gihapon,” Cortes said.

(We won’t be strict with the borders, instead in the implementation of health protocols. We will continue coordination with the business sector as well as the 27 barangays.) 

Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, executive secretary of Mayor Jonas Cortes, said that imposing strict border controls will not help to improve the state of the local economy and will only give workers a difficult time entering the city.

“Dili na to lisud-lisuron ang ato’ng mga kaigsu-unan nga musakay ug mu padung sa ila’ng trabahuan and vice versa,” Ibañez said.

(Let’s not give workers a difficult time traveling to their work places and vice versa.)

With this development, Cortes is reminding residents in the city to follow basic health protocols like wearing face masks and observing physical distancing.

Mandaue City, based on its latest COVID update posted on Tuesday night at the Mandaue City Public Information Office Facebook page, has 64 active cases left. The city is under modified general community quarantine like the rest of Cebu.

/bmjo  

Read: EOC agrees with stricter border control as Cebu City’s active cases rise