Cebu City to implement stricter border control anew

CEBU, Philippines — Stricter border control will be implemented again in Cebu City due to the increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 cases.

The Central Visayas and Cebu City police as well as the city emergency operations center (EOC) are identifying the ports where stricter measures will be imposed.

“Cebu Island has many port of entries so there are really instances that people would come in without coordinating with the city and barangay. We will coordinate with the Philippine National Police, Cebu Ports Authority and Philippine Coast Guard. We're also inviting the host LGUs (local government units) at the ports,” EOC deputy chief implementer and Councilor Joel Garganera said.

Cebu City logged 18 new cases on Friday, bringing the active to 209. It was the fourth day in a row of a double-digit jump in the number of cases.

The EOC said Cebu City may revert again to enhanced community quarantine or ECQ, but Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said it is not needed.

Meanwhile, in Negros Occidental, authorities expressed alarm that “unrestricted travel” between the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo could lead to an increase in confirmed cases.

Provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz cited reports that some people coming from Iloilo claim they are residents of Bacolod to avoid being subjected to swab testing.

Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares called on his constituents to report to barangay officials the presence of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) so that they could be endorsed for swab testing.

Lizares said some LSIs from Iloilo do not coordinate with the local government.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he wants to create a “Negros Occidental bubble” based in Bacolod.

In Pangasinan, a two-day-old baby boy is the latest and the third child to have contracted the virus in Calasiao town. – The Freeman