‘No lockdown but strict movement protocols in Cebu’

Gwen, Metro Cebu mayors meet to have common stand on measures against COVID-19

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia together with Metro Cebu mayors, police, military and other concerned government agencies meet to tackle measures against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). | Gerard Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Strict movement protocols, not a lockdown, will be implemented in Cebu amid the confirmation of the first Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) case here.

The Cebu provincial government and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay will be issuing a joint set of protocols to further lessen movement and social contact as a means of combatting the spread of COVID-19.

On Thursday evening, March 19, 2020,  Governor Gwendolyn Garcia called for an interagency meeting at the Capitol with the mayors, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino; and officials from the Department of Health, Police Regional Office-7 and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Immigration and the Regional Development Council to tackle additional mitigating measures that will be imposed in Cebu.

Read more: Gwen: ‘We’re not on lockdown; do not hoard supplies’

Prior to the meeting, Garcia has already made a statement that there would be no lockdown in Cebu despite the confirmation of the first COVID-19 case.

Unified approach

The local chief executives and officials from the different government agencies convened at the Capitol from around 7 p.m. until 10:40 p.m. to come up with a “unified” approach and protocols in limiting movements.

Garcia said they had unanimously decided not to impose a lockdown in the province.

“Duha ra ka pulong kung diin kami nagkauyon gayud: No Lockdown. Walay lockdown dinhi sa Cebu (There is no lockdown here in Cebu),” Garcia said.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said they also had to consider the effect on the economic dimension should a lockdown be imposed.

Read more: No city lockdown, curfew to be implemented — Labella

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, meanwhile, said that despite the calls for a lockdown in his city, where the first COVID-19 case was confined, they maintained to give a “calculated response” rather than one that stemmed from fear.

Read more: 1st COVID-19 case in Mandaue ‘recovering’ — DOH-7 chief

Cortes said that there was so much at stake if they would fall to the call of locking down the city considering that Mandaue served both as a transportation and cargo corridor in Cebu.

“Sayod ta nga ang dakbayan sa Mandaue, mao ni ang agianan from north to south (Everyone knows that Mandaue City is the gateway from north to south). You cannot go to Cebu without passing by Mandaue, and you cannot leave Cebu without passing by Mandaue,” Cortes said.

“Ang atong tubag, dili mahimo. (Our answer is that cannot be done.) You cannot kill the rat by burning the house,”the mayor said.

Following the meeting and the decision of no lockdown in Cebu, the jointly sanctioned protocols of the province and the cities are expected to be released not later than Friday afternoon, March 20.

Garcia  encouraged the public by then, to follow the protocols and not to leave their houses unless necessary, in order to lessen risks of contact and exposure.

“Please stay at home. Tabang mo nga dili na mapun-an ang pag-spread ani nga virus (Help us so that the the virus would not spread),” Garcia said.

Although the decision was to not implement a lockdown for now, Garcia warned that the virus would continue to spread, closing borders between cities might even be possible./dbs