Policemen man the checkpoint at the border of Talisay City and Cebu City along the Cebu South Coastal Road at the South Road Properties. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – There will be no border control restrictions all over Cebu despite localities here having different quarantine statuses.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order (EO) No. 35 on August 2 that served as guidelines for the province’s General Community Quarantine (GCQ) phase that will last until August 15.
In her new EO, Garcia allowed interzonal travel between Cebu province and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue.
“Interzonal travel within the entire island of Cebu shall be permitted. All persons shall be allowed to travel to and from the Province of Cebu and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu,” portions of the four-page document read.
The tri-cities shifted to a stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) since August 1.
Initially, Cebu province was supposed to be under MECQ but the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) approved the governor’s appeal to downgrade its new classification.
As a result, the province’s quarantine status was downgraded to GCQ ‘with heightened restrictions’ .
“We’ve seen that before. We implemented border control, the economy suffered. Yes, the cases are rising. But when we did border control, a lot also suffered. We have to balance things. We have to weigh in,” said Garcia, in a mix of English and Cebuano, during her press briefer last Monday, August 12.
During Cebu province’s ‘GCQ with heightened restrictions’ phase, indoor dining, tourism attractions, and public transportation with enclosed spaces and powered by air-conditioners are not allowed.
Establishments and public utility vehicle (PUV) owners are told to operate with open-air spaces, which is also subject to a limited capacity as mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF). /rcg
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