ECQ in Davao del Norte starts April 5

ECQ in Davao del Norte starts April 5

THE entire province of Davao del Norte, except the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), will now be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) effective 12:01 of Sunday, April 5.

Davao del Norte governor Edwin Jubahib issued Executive Order (EO) No. 31 Friday evening, April 3, placing the cities and municipalities Asuncion, Dujali, Carmen, Kapalong, New Corella, Panabo, San Isidro, Santo Tomas, Tagum, and Talaingod under ECQ from April 5 until 11:59 p.m. of April 20, unless further extended, revised, or withdrawn, depending on the situation on theground.

According‭ ‬to‭ ‬the‭ ‬EO, elevating the entire province ‬under‭ ‬ECQ‭ ‬was in response ‬to the‭ rising coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the province.

As of April 3, 8 p.m., nine Covid-19 cases had been reported in Davao del Norte according to the Department of Health - Davao Region (DOH-Davao).

Under the ECQ, curfew hours will be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, while selling, serving, and consumption of liquor in public area will not be allowed.

All‭ ‬non-essential‬ business‭‬ establishments‭ ‬will‭ ‬be‭ temporarily‭ closed‭‬ as‭ ‬well ‬except‭ ‬for government offices, groceries and supermarkets, wet market (palengke), food manufacturing, food delivery services, wholesale stores, convenience stores, hospitals, telecommunication and internet providers, medical laboratories, pharmacies and drugstores, banks and automated telling machine (ATMs), savings and credit cooperatives, money-transfer services and “Bayad” centers, courier services,‭ ‬‬doctors‭ ‬‬and‭ ‬‬dentists’‭ ‬clinic,‭‭ ‬gas‭ ‬stations,‭‭ ‬water‭‭ ‬refilling‭ ‬stations,‭‭ ‬LPG‭ ‬stations,‭ ‬and vulcanizing shops.

However, exempted establishments must strictly adhere to the curfew rules of the ECQ, except pharmacies and medical-related facilities.

Meanwhile, essential sectors such as electricity and water service providers should only work for preventive maintenance and during emergencies. All workers working on exempted establishments must carry their employment ID.

The EO also states that manufacturing, fabrication, and construction work that is not pertinent to the public health emergency and state of calamity response should immediately cease operation.

Agri-business‭ ‬and‭ ‬farm‭ ‬‬are‭ ‬also‭‭ ‬ordered‭ ‬‬to‭ ‬reduce‭ ‬‬workload‭ ‬and‭ ‬extend‭ ‬their‭‭ ‬deadlines‭ ‬to significantly reduce laborers in the job site and to create a two-meter distance between laborers, provided that respective municipality or city should issue a work pass to them.

Workers‭ ‬at‭ ‬sea‭‭ ‬ports‭‭ ‬must‭‭ ‬also‭ ‬secure‭ ‬a‭ ‬work‭‭ ‬quarantine‭ ‬pass‭ ‬‬from‭ ‬‬their‭‭ ‬respective‭‭ ‬local government units.

Banana industry employers, meanwhile, shall provide door-to-door transportation service for their workers‭ ‬including‭ ‬laborers,‭ ‬packers,‭ ‬and‭‭ ‬others,‭‭ ‬provided‭ ‬they‭ ‬would‭ ‬‬also‭‭ ‬observe‭ ‬‬social distancing inside the vehicle.

Transport vehicles must bear appropriate label or signage that they are used for such purposes to help expedite the checkpoint procedure. The EO also suspends the operation of all mass transportation such as pedicabs (motorized tricycle for hire), multicabs, jeepneys, passenger vans, buses, ferry boats and banca.

Meanwhile, all mayors whose municipalities will undergo ECQ are directed to issue quarantine pass per household in their area of jurisdiction. They are also mandated to control and supervise the release and distribution of the passes in their areas.

Barangay officials will supervise the release of the quarantine pass in their respective barangays, and shall ensure the safest and most efficient process in its release to avoid mass gathering.

Quarantine passes, which are non-transferrable according to the EO, shall be used to buy food and medicine, or to go to the hospital. Other purpose for its usage is strictly prohibited.

When using the pass, it must be supported with a valid ID and other government documents, such as company IDs, passports, and other government issued IDs. Photocopies of important IDs and documents will not be honored.

Those who may receive the quarantine pass are boarders or renters, single-family household, and multi-family household. All qualified recipients will only be given one quarantine pass. Each pass shall only be used by two designated personnel of each household assigned to buy food and medicine, or to go to the hospital. It can only be used from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The EO also said that all individuals on the streets must carry their quarantine pass, work, pass, market ID, or whichever is applicable. In case of an emergency, ID is no longer needed. Those caught without passes outside their homes will be penalized.

Checkpoints‭ ‬‬will‭ ‬be‭ ‬‬deployed‭ ‬per‭ ‬barangay,‭ ‬to‭ ‬‬ensure‭ ‬that‭ ‬only‭‭ ‬employees from‭‭ ‬exempted establishments, and persons who possess their quarantine pass can pass through.

Meanwhile, traders, retailers, and wholesalers from other cities and municipalities, but within the province who intend to enter in another city or municipality also within the province to tap goods and supplies must present their business permit or accredited certification from the Mayor’s Office and quarantine pass at the checkpoint for validation before being allowed entry.

Extreme precautionary measures

Davao‭ ‬del‭‭ ‬Norte‭ ‬cities‭ ‬such‭ ‬as‭ ‬Tagum‭ ‬and‭ ‬Panabo,‭ ‬and‭ ‬the‭ ‬municipality‭ ‬of‭ ‬Carmen‭ ‬will implement extreme precautionary measures. All public and private vehicles from the abovementioned areas are prohibited from entering and exiting their respective jurisdiction.

Residents ‬of other ‬cities and‭ ‬municipalities of ‬the province ‬are discouraged ‬to go ‬to‭ Tagum, Panabo, and Carmen.

All vehicles passing through these LGUs will be escorted in group only within 24 hours from the effectivity of the order. Valid ID is required. Also, they are not authorized to pick up passengers in Tagum, Carmen, and Panabo. Meanwhile, all local government units (LGUs) of Davao del Norte will adopt their own measures and guidelines as they may deem fit in their respective Inter-Agency Task Force pertinent to theimposition of the EO.

Also, all incident management teams shall be led by their respective City or Municipal Health Offices ‬and‭ ‬‬all‭‭ ‬measures‭ ‬‬on‭ ‬‬containment,‭‭ ‬control,‭‭ ‬and‭ ‬prevention‭ ‬shall‭‭ ‬be‭ ‬submitted‭ ‬to‭ ‬the Provincial Government through the Provincial Health officer to ensure that the City and municipal mayors shall fulfill their anti-Covid-19 roles and responsibilities during the entire duration of the ECQ.

“The‭ ‬Provincial‭ ‬Government‭ ‬shall‭ ‬strengthen‭ ‬its‭ ‬logistics‭‭ ‬support‭‭ ‬as‭ ‬requested‭‭ ‬by‭ ‬City‭ ‬‬and Municipal Mayors,” the EO states.

Sunstar Davao tried to reach Igacos Mayor Al David Uy through Messenger regarding the exemption of his area on the issued EO, but as of writing, he has not yet responded.

However, in an online message, the Samal Information Office said that while Igacos is politically part of Davao del Norte, the island city is geographically detached from the province.

They added that those who wish to enter Igacos would have to undergo checkpoint in Davao City, which will be implementing the ECQ a few hours ahead of April 4, 9 p.m.

There was no word if Uy would place Igacos under ECQ, considering they have not yet recorded any Covid-positive patients within their jurisdiction. Davao del Norte declared Community Quarantine on March 17, 2020, including Igacos.

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