ADDITIONAL areas in Benguet province has been put under extreme enhanced community quarantine (EECQ).

The mining town of Itogon was placed under EECQ March 31 until April 1 while Barangay Bila in Bokod started their EECQ March 30 and will end today, April 1.

Mayor Victorio Palangdan of Itogon said the Joint Covid-19 Task Force and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council decided to place the town under EECQ and ordered village officials and Itogon police to be stricter in guarding checkpoints, implementing curfew hours, and letting people leave their homes using the home quarantine pass.

Village officials are also given an authority to impose tougher travel restrictions.

Exemptions are given for health workers and emergency responders, store owners, farmer and cargo drivers of food and non-food items, skeletal workforce of businesses offering basic services and commodities.

Also excluded are banks, money transfer services, power, energy, water, and telecommunication supplies and facilities, BPO and hotel employees, and pastor/priests to conduct funeral rites.

“Remember people of Itogon, we are doing this to prevent us from being infected with the coronavirus,” Palangdan added.

In the neighboring town of Bokod, checkpoints were established at Ambangueg, Daklan by members of Bokod Municipal Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19.

Mayor Thomas Wales Jr. added one of the Covid–19 positive in the region had a travel history in Barangay Bila saying there is a need to intensify the restriction and monitoring of the movements of all residents, and no travel pass to be issued during the EECQ.

In a live press briefing on Tuesday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Nora Ruiz disclosed as of March 29 there are 1,164 persons under monitoring (PUM) and 426 persons under investigation (PUIs) in Benguet.

“At present there are 21 PUIs admitted at the Benguet General Hospital. Health workers are on duty 12 hours, “Ruiz adds.

To date there are two positive case of Covid-19 in the province. One includes a six–year–old and a 34-year–old, both female who are in stable condition.