The Office of the Governor also issued a memorandum on Wednesday on border restrictions for barangays.
All barangay chairmen are required to implement border controls to limit the entry of people.
The memorandum states that all residents of the barangay subject to health protocols will be allowed entry, including locally stranded individuals, overseas Filipino workers, and all other permitted persons by the IATF resolutions and executive orders of the governor.
COVID-19 Task Force Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez said there is a possibility of expanding strict quarantine protocols in the whole province of Cebu.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 25) — The government carried out a targeted strict quarantine policy in Cebu City, locking down a number of barangays to contain the spread of COVID-19, Roy Cimatu, overseer of the Interagency Task Force (IATF) in Cebu City, said on Thursday.
The following barangays were deemed “hotspots” due to the high number of COVID-19 infections:
“Nakikita natin ganun ang gagawin natin. That’s why ang instruction ni Secretary (Eduardo) Año ay paigtingin yung stringent protocols,” Galvez told CNN Philippines.
-Sambag Dos
-Kamputhaw
-Sambag Uno
[Translation: We are expecting to do that. Because the instruction of Secretary Año is to intensify stringent protocols.]
-Basak San Nicolas
-Mabolo
-Guadalupe
-Lahug
-Duljo
He added, “Nakita po natin na medyo kulang yung awareness ng mga tao sa minimum health standards. Yung participation ng public ay importante talaga.
-Tinago
-Tisa
-Ermita
-Tejero
[Translation: We saw that people have only slight awareness about minimum health standards. Public participation is really important.]
Cimatu said he will hold a meeting with the chairmen of the 12 barangays to explain the spike in cases.
“We will make the barangay captain responsible,” he said in a virtual briefing held in Cebu City.
The city is under an enhanced community quarantine until June 30. It registered 4,216 infections as of June 24, the worst of any city nationwide.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said the new quarantine passes will be distributed under strict supervision after all previously issued 250,000 permits were revoked on Tuesday.
Without a quarantine pass, residents are no longer allowed to travel outside of their barangays and only workers in essential services will be allowed to leave their homes. The new guidelines limit a household to one pass, which can be used by a designated member to go out for essential errands such as buying food or medicine. Labella said a market schedule may be carried out.
Cimatu said authorities are implementing similar measures in Cebu City that were carried out in Metro Manila while it was under ECQ. Over 160 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force commandos and 200 police personnel have been deployed in Cebu City to make sure people follow stay-at-home rules and health guidelines.
The national government earlier pointed out that critical care capacity in the city is reaching “dangerous levels,” with some hospitals running out of beds for COVID-19 patients.
