Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has ordered a total lockdown of Iloilo City during Saturdays and Sundays within the expanded and ehanced community quarantine period.

According to an executive order issued by Treñas on Monday, April 13, “there’s a need to further limit the movement of persons during certain days of the week to further strengthen the practice of enhanced community quarantine in Iloilo City.”

“The strict implementation of the expanded and enhanced community quarantine shall take effect effect from 12:01 a.m. of April 18 2020 (Saturday) until 11:59 p.m. of April 19, 2020 (Sunday) and 12:01 a.m. of April 25, 2020 (Saturday) until 11:59 p.m. of April 26, 2020 (Sunday),” EO No. 061 stated.

Under the amended EO, residents are prohibited from going out of their respective houses.

Exempted from the movement restrictions are “those who need to go to either the hospital or pharmacy or drugstore, provided that they have quarantine pass and wear a mask in public.”

Other exempted persons are Department of Health personnel, healthcare workers, essential government personnel, media practitioners, members of the Iloilo City Emergency Response Team, and those essential personnel recommended by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) focal person and approved by the mayor.

All establishments and business operations of whatever nature are also directed to close.

Only hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies, drugstores, funeral parlors are exempted “provided that mass gathering of persons shall not be allowed.”

“Establishments who operate beyond 8 p.m. (such as BPOs, KPOs, media outfits, commissaries, food processing business, arrastre services, shipping and cargo and other similar establishments) may be allowed to operate during period of the exapanded and enhanced community quarantine, provided they shall provide for accomodation of their personnel who render work during the period,” the EO stated.

Appropriate administrative and/or criminal charges may be filed against those “who knowingly break protocol and enganger the lives of the residents of Iloilo City”

The city-wide lockdown was extended until April 30, 2020. IMT

Photo by Randy Javier Fadrigo