Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 6) — Agusan del Sur has been placed under strict home quarantine hours after a COVID-19 case was confirmed in nearby Butuan City.
Governor Santiago Cane, Jr. issued Executive Order No. 18-20 placing the province under enhanced community quarantine effective Monday, April 6, after the neighboring city in Agusan del Norte confirmed the Caraga region’s first infection.
This means only workers in critical industries as well as holders of quarantine passes to buy food and essential supplies will be allowed to go out of their homes, with the province under a 24-hour curfew, Cane said in a Facebook post.
The executive order also cited Agusan del Sur’s common boundaries with Butuan City and Davao de Oro where cases have been confirmed, saying these put residents “at high risk of contamination.”
Checkpoints have also been set up at all entry and exit points linking Agusan del Sur to nearby cities and provinces. A price freeze on basic goods and a liquour ban have also been imposed.
Congressman Adolph Edward “Eddiebong” Plaza said separately during the government’s Laging Handa briefing that local authorities “cannot afford” to have coronavirus cases in the province, as there were no level 3 hospitals that can cater to these patients.
Residents aged 17 or younger and 60 or older, pregnant women, as well as those with underlying diseases are not allowed to head out except for medical checkups. Exempted are health workers, authorized government officials, persons traveling for medical and humanitarian reasons, and providers of basic services and public utilities.
The order takes effect immediately until withdrawn or revoked by the governor.
