Empty streets are seen in Barangay Guadalupe in this photo taken Sunday, January 24, 2021, as authorities implement a “Stay at Home Sundays” in order to curb the rising cases of COVID-19 there. CDN digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City will now allow residents to go out on Sundays and visit the establishments here, after more than three months of mandatory stay-at-home due to rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The barangay council has issued a resolution last April 5, 2021, that the stay-at-home order will now be lifted starting April 18, 2021, which means that establishments in the barangays can already operate on Sundays.
In a phone interview with CDN Digital, Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan said that they consulted the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with the continuous drop in the cases in the barangay.
The EOC has agreed that establishments may now reopen because the cases have significantly dropped to a more manageable number.
For January and February, the daily average of new cases in Guadalupe has reached three digits per day, comprising to at least 40 to 50 percent of the city’s daily new cases.
Now the cases have been consistently two-digit and sometimes single-digit, which the EOC views now as a significant improvement.
“Nigamay naman kaayo ang kaso diri, unya ang mga businesses sige nagreklamo. Mao na ablihan na nato sila,” said Gacasan.
(The number of cases here has dropped and the businesses are complaining. So we will allow them to open on Sundays.)
As for the residents, Gacasan said they had long been allowed to go out of their homes on Sundays on their own although establishments were simply closed.
The order will most likely affect the businesses that have been ordered closed on Sundays since January.
The barangay chief is encouraging these establishments to help implement the health protocols because if cases will rise again, then they will be the most affected.
“Ana gyod, dapat sila una motabang kay sila may maapektuhan,” he added.
(That should be the case. They should be the first to help or cooperate because they are the ones to be affected.)
/dbs
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