Laguna placed under total lockdown pending clear guidelines

MANILA, Philippines — Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez on Saturday declared the entire province under total lockdown and ordered local authorities to enforce consequent measures, while more comprehensive guidelines have yet to be issued publicly.

“Ipinag-uutos sa lahat ng awtoridad sa lalawigan ng Laguna ang implementasyon ng TOTAL LOCKDOWN ng probinsya at mahigpit na pagsunod sa lahat ng panuntunan sa pagpapatupad nito,” the governor said in a Saturday afternoon post.

(All authorities in the province of Laguna were ordered to implement the province's TOTAL LOCKDOWN and strict adherence to all rules on its implementation.)

“Hinihingi po ang kooperasyon at pang-unawa ng publiko. Maraming salamat po. #godblesslaguna #serbisyongtama”

(We are asking for the cooperation and understanding of the public. Thank you very much.)

Despite the lack of guidelines, an infographic set attached to the governor's post lists "authorized persons outside residence."

These include those in charge of the daily necessities and some exceptions listed including one member per household.

Authorized Persons Outside Residence

Basic services

• Medical services
• Funeral services
• Emergency responders
• Security services

Daily essentials

• Banks
• Money transfer services
• Hypermarkets/supermarkets/groceries/convenience and sari stores
• Public markets
• Pharmacies and drugstores
• Food chain/restaurants/carinderia (delivery and takeout)

Essential goods

• Daily personnel of cargoes, with or without load (two including the driver)
• Employees at manufacturing estabishments, producing and distributing food, essential and hygiene products, medicines and vitamins, and medical products
• Employees at logistics/warehouse establishments

Utilities

• Telecommunications
• Energy companies
• Water companies
• Sanitation

Other authorized persons

• Private individual (1 per household) availing the services of mentioned establishments
• Government skeletal force of the Executive Branch
• Capital market personnel (based on skeletal work force)
• DOLE skeletal staff for Tulong Hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD)
• Senators and congressmen with their chief of staff
• Department secretaries, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries
• Bureau directors
• Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman
• Justices of Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, and Sandiganbayan
• Judges of regional, metropolitan, city, and municipal trial courts and prosecutors
• Governors
• Media personalities including PCOO and attached agencies
• Business process outsourcing (BPO) and export-oriented businesses personnel
• Critical transportation facilities employees
• Heads of mission or designated foreign mission representatives (including limited foreign mission personnel and staff)
• Hotel employees and tenants with existing long-term leases and booking accommodations as of Mar. 17, 2020
• Outbound and inbound international passengers and driver
• Civil aviation related services personnel

There are at least 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Laguna, according to the latest bulletin from the Provincial Health Office.