Quarantine pass policy now in effect in Iloilo City

Iloilo City has started requiring its residents to present quarantine passes when they leave thier houses.

Executive Order (EO) No. 50-A issued by Mayor Jerry P. Treñas imposes restrictions on non-essential travel of persons within and into Iloilo City and other health intervention measures to curb the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.

The implementation of the quarantine pass policy in the city took effect on Friday, June 4.

As stated in the EO, the quarantine pass shall be used by one household member who will leave the premises of their house to access basic necessities like food, medicines, daily provisions and essential services.

“In order to address the developing COVID-19 surge in Iloilo City, there is a need to enforce measures to significantly reduce people circulation to minimize, if not eliminate, further transmission,” Treñas stressed in his EO.

Across all settings, it is highly encouraged that the person securing the quarantine pass does not belong to any of the vulnerable sectors such as persons more than 65 years old, persons below 18 years old, pregnant women, persons with comorbidities, immune-deficiencies and other risk factors, and persons with disabilities.

Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORs) who are exempted from this requirement include health and emergency frontline services personnel; all Department of Health (DOH) officials and staff; all health and service personnel stationed at local Government Unit (LGU) health facilities, among others; government officials/personnel; Justices, Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman, Judges, court employee, prosecutors and lawyers; duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors; persons traveling for medical and humanitarian reasons; persons going to and from the airport with confirmed airline tickets; persons crossing zones (LGUs)for work or business permitted in the zone of destinations, or activities authorized by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and going back home; and public utility vehicle (PUV) operators, drivers and crew.

Also exempted are APORs from the national government agencies and other government offices/corporations; non-government APORs, other APORs working or doing business in other livelihood sectors; media workers; BPO and expo-oriented business personnel; delivery personnel; force multipliers like barangay officials, barangay tanods, Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERTs) members; immediate family of the deceased crossing borders to attend necrological/burial service of the latter; and leaders of religious denominations pursuant to the performance of their religious functions.

The EO also enjoins establishments and offices to ensure proper compliance of persons accessing basic necessities and essential services by directing entrants to present valid Quarantine Pass and/or proof of identification.

Moreover, the order also prohibits mass gatherings of any kind until June 15 except those essentials for the provision of health services, government services, or humanitarian activities authorized by the appropriate government agency or instrumentality.

Religious denominations are encouraged to adopt virtual means to puruse their religious services and activities.IMT