Luzon public transport halted; foreigners given 72 hours to leave

THE Department of Transportation has issued guidelines for the implementation of an enhanced community quarantine in Luzon effective 12 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, until April 13.

1. MRT-3, LRT-1, LRT-2, and PNR as well as all PUVs (buses, jeepneys, taxis, Transport Network Vehicle Service, FX, UV Express, Point-to-Point buses, and Motorcycle Taxis) are suspended.

2. Foreigners are given 72 hours to leave the Philippines.

3. Airport operation shall be limited to outgoing flights carrying foreigners and tourists. Filipinos are not allowed to leave the country.

4. Inbound flights will only be for repatriating Filipinos.

5. Land, air and sea travel of uniformed personnel for official business, especially those transporting medical supplies, laboratory specimens related to Covid-19, and other humanitarian assistance, shall be allowed.

6. Only 1 person per household is allowed to go out to buy basic necessities. Use of private vehicles for this purpose shall be allowed.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will again meet later Tuesday to assess the implementation of the quarantine.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday approved the stricter quarantine measures and expanded the coverage of the quarantine to the entire Luzon in a bid to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Luzon has a population of more than 53 million, about half of the Philippine population.

Several towns, cities and provinces outside Luzon have also been placed under community quarantine by their local governments.

As of Monday, the Philippines recorded 142 Covid-19 cases nationwide, with 12 deaths.

Globally, the coronavirus has killed more than 4,000 and infected over 100,000 people. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)