Iloilo on Enhanced Community Quarantine: Just recently, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas issued Executive Order No. 055, an executive order implementing Regulation Ordinance No. 2020-056, Series of 2020 in relation to the practice of Enhanced Community Quarantine applicable to all commercial and business establishments, government offices and in residential areas, and for other purposes.
The EO 055 includes the following:
Social distancing. Social distancing refers to a distance of at least one meter from one person to another. It is a set of infection control measures intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease.
Closure. From March 20 to April 14, unless extended or shortened upon recommendation by the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the Department of Health (DOH), or the Iloilo City Health Office (CHO), all public and private offices, business and commercial establishments, and stores shall be closed.
Closure is applicable to all with the exception of public markets, sari-sari stores, supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, medical facilities, pharmacies and drug stores, water-refilling stations, laundry shops, manufacturing and processing plants, banks, pawnshops, money transfer services, payment and remittance centers, public utilities, transportation, hardware stores, gasoline stations, burial and crematorial services, food preparation, take-out, delivery services of restaurants, fastfood chains (dine-in clients are strictly prohibited), to mention a few.
BPOs and KPOs may be allowed to operate provided workers are given on-site accommodation, plus social distancing. Other excepted from closure also includes media outlets (provided that field reporters and minimal crew secure necessary permit from the Iloilo City Government), automobile repair shops, automobile parts and supply store, industrial supplies, shipping companies, agricultural supply stores, and establishments allowed by the Iloilo City Government.
The same EO also dictates the allowable operating hours – establishments open until 7pm include public markets, sari-sari stores, grocery stores, water refilling stations, banks, pawnshops, to mention a few; establishments open until 8pm include medical clinics, diagnostic center, laboratories, money transfer services, hardware stores, to mention a few.
Establishments allowed to go beyond 8pm are the following: hospitals, medical facilities, convenience stores, fastfood chains, media outlets, shipping and cargo companies, warehouse, public utilities, industrial supply and repair, BPOs and KPOs.
Preventive Measures. The EO prescribed general mandatory conditions and precautionary best practices to be followed by establishments mentioned above. These include the following:
- Posting of Covid-19 hotline
- Observance of social distancing
- Constant disinfecting
- Provision of hand sanitizers and/or alcohol
- Use of non-contact thermal scanners
- Employees to accomplish daily health interview cards
- Have sanitation protocol in place
Curfew/Enhanced Community Quarantine. An 8:00 o’clock evening to 5:00 o’clock morning curfew is imposed from March 20 to April 14, unless extended or shortened by the assigned agencies. Moreover, those exempted from the curfew are the following:
- Those providing medical services
- Personnel in the funeral service industry
- Emergency responders
- Security services
- Bank employees and offices
- Those in the money transfer services
- Those working in groceries/convenience stores
- Those working in public markets
- Those working in pharmacies/drugstores
- Those working in food chain/restaurants
- Delivery personnel
- Those working at processed foods
- Those working in medical manufacturing
- Those working in telecommunications
- Those working in water companies
- Those working in energy companies
- Those working in sanitation
- Essential government skeletal force
Moreover, private individuals (one per household) availing the services of the mentioned establishments are also exempted from the curfew. Moreover, those in capital markets (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Stock Exchange, Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corporation, Philippine Securities Settlement Corporation, and Philippine Depository and Trust Corporation) are also exempted.
To enforce the implementation of the curfew, personnel from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Punong Barangay, Barangay Council, Barangay Tanods, Task Force on Moral Values, City Health Office Public Safety and Traffic Management Office will participate.
Prohibition on Liquor. There will also be a liquor ban – this includes the selling, dispensing, and transporting of liquor or alcoholic beverages. This includes whisky, brandy, gin, rum, cordial, liquor, cocktail, wine, champagne, vermouth, basi, tuba, saki, beer, ale, and stout are prohibited.
