Borongan under hard lockdown for 9 days

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — The local government of Borongan, capital of Eastern Samar, has closed the city’s borders to protect its residents from coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Borongan Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda yesterday appealed for public cooperation as he declared the city under hard lockdown and 27 high-risk barangays under granular lockdown from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3.

This developed after a close contact of a former COVID patient and two health workers recently tested positive for the virus.

The lockdowns will pave the way for the conduct of the disease surveillance and contact tracing to ensure people’s safety, Agda said in the order.

With the closure of the borders, only essential travels to and from the city including by government employees and health workers will be allowed during the nine-day lockdown.

Delivery of food items and other basic goods and commodities are allowed, provided only a maximum of five persons including the driver will be allowed entry.

Agda said a maximum of 10 persons from each town within the province, excluding APORs or authorized persons outside of residence, would be allowed to enter Borongan.

The city government said more barangays might be added to the list of areas under granular lockdown, depending on the results of the ongoing contact tracing.

Agda said mass gatherings are prohibited and people below 21 years old and above 60 years old are not allowed outside of their homes.

He said restaurants would be allowed to accommodate takeout orders.

Massage parlors, salons, spas and barbershops as well as tourism spots are closed.

Drinking in public is prohibited and curfew hours will be implemented from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Private establishments and governmentt offices have been urged to enforce a 50-percent workforce arrangement, and public transportation from other towns are not allowed to enter the city.

Vehicles from outside will be allowed to pass through the city if their drivers could present a “passing through authority” issued by their respective police stations.

Tricycles are allowed to operate within the city during the entire lockdown period, the mayor’s order said.