Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., for now, is not amenable to put the province of Iloilo on lockdown amid the growing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country.
Several measures have already been put in place to prevent the entry of the deadly disease into the province, Defensor said.
But according to the governor, if the spread worsens, the provincial government might consider the implementation of a lockdown.
As of Tuesday, March 11, the province remained free of COVID-19.
As part of its intensified efforts to combat COVID-19, Defensor issued an executive order suspending all public events involving a large number of attendees.
On March 7, the Department of Health raised Code Red Sub-Level 1 after it recorded the first local transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said “raising the alert level is a preemptive measure to ensure that the public, as well as health care providers, can prepare for a possible increase in suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.”
In a press conference on Tuesday, March 10, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario local said government units (LGUs) can implement a lockdown if the alert level hoisted for COVID-19 was raised to Code Red Sub-Level 2.
“Under lockdown, people are not allowed to go in and out of their area,” she said.
On March 9, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency. IMT
