Western Visayas restricts cross-border travel

ILOILO CITY—Local governments in Western Visayas are closing their borders again amid the surge in cases in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces and rising COVID-19 cases in the region.

Boracay Island also continues to see an increase in virus cases, even as a lockdown has been implemented in parts of the island.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas announced on Saturday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the request of chief executives in Western Visayas to suspend flights and trips from the National Capital region and Cebu to the region.

Heightened restrictions

Western Visayas, composed of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental, has recorded 27,941 cases, including 109 new cases on April 3.

The suspension of flights and trips was from April 4 until April 10.

On Sunday, Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao issued an executive order closing off provincial borders and the imposition of a curfew from 10 p.m to 4 a.m. A liquor ban will also be implemented.

Under the order, all travel to the province is prohibited except for returning overseas Filipinos who will undergo quarantine and swab tests and authorized personnel on official business.

The heightened restrictions in Antique were still awaiting approval from the regional IATF.

In Iloilo City, Treñas also implemented stricter health protocols including the reduction of the workforce in offices and business process outsourcing firms to 30 percent.

In Aklan, authorities were still trying to contain an outbreak in Boracay Island with 13 new cases reported on April 3, bringing the total cases on the 1,032-hectare island to 133, including 88 active cases.