CEBU, Philippines — Except for frontliners and others performing essential tasks, all other residents of Talisay City, Cebu will not be allowed to leave their homes on Sundays.
This as Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas has declared tighter movement restrictions for every Sunday.
In a Facebook post by the city’s Public Information Office, residents were informed of the reiteration of “stay-at-home Sundays” policy laid down in Gullas’ Executive Order (EO) No. 25.
Under the policy, no city residents would be allowed to go out of their homes for any other purpose apart from the purchase of essential goods and medicine and in the case of any emergency during Sundays.
With this, business establishments are also expected to temporarily close during Sundays.
Among the exemptions enumerated in the EO are frontline government offices at the city and barangay level, police and other uniformed services, pharmacies, medical clinics, hospitals, manufacturing and industrial business establishments, energy-related entities, bakeries, and water refilling stations.
Lechon manok stalls and lechon baboy stalls in the city will be allowed to open until noon.
Village chiefs along with their respective barangay officials and force multipliers, in coordination with law enforcement agencies have been tasked to implement the policy.
"Failure to comply with this order shall be dealt with accordingly," the EO reads.
As of June 20, Talisay City recorded a total of 77 active cases of COVID-19, seven recoveries and 25 deaths.
GCQ from MECQ
The city has de-escalated its risk classification status from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ).
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Region 7 has granted the city a less-stringent risk classification status following the endorsement of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
This was confirmed by Gullas in a Facebook post yesterday.
The mayor said he had just received the copy of the concurrence from IATF-7.
Talisay City, last June 15, was placed under the risk classification of MECQ, while the rest of the province’s component cities and municipalities remained under GC.
During a meeting between Garcia and the province’s mayors, a consensus was made on the decision to appeal to the IATF-7 for the downgrading of Talisay’s risk classification.
On June 18, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed Executive No. 17 which orders accordingly. However, this would be effective upon IATF’s concurrence and issuance of resolution downgrading the city’s status.
The Capitol the next day received a word from IATF-7 that the latter has concurred to the downgrading.
This is based on IATF Resolution No. 30 which states that governors have the power to impose, lift or extend enhanced community quarantine in any component city or municipality of their respective provinces upon the concurrence of the relevant regional counterpart body of the IATF. KQD (FREEMAN)